Chapter 1

It was a dark stormy night as the rain was pouring and made the land so slimy. Hyoyeon was standing beside her car, although the bad weather she was able to keep her balance. The scene still catches her eyes, it worth her to take two or more pictures of it by her camera.

She cares so much about her job, even if it was the end of the world or it will drive her to death. It was a stupid idea to stop her car on that time and at that place for some pictures of the floods, but for her it was like a child who found the buried treasure. She should have started the engine to the knoll at that time, because the river was overfilling speedily and she might sink with her car on it any seconds. But what a wonderful pictures she took, that what she said to herself, all that craziness worth it after all. It will be a great report about the floods if she survived from this impasse. That’s all in her mind right now; she forgot about everything around her even the danger she has to face, her optimistic side make blind of that danger.

 Only one person have that passion in work, no other than her father, she learned from him every single details about how to be a great photographer, her father was the publisher of a weekly news paper and also the head photographer of it, she took his seriousness in work even if it was lead him to many damages.

The lightning has penetrated the sky followed by a hard sound of the thunder, which made her back to her mind. She started to think what she should do, anything except to walk on that muddy ground, she hates that weather that made the river looks ugly flowed with mud. Hyoyeon always call it “my riv river”, she was born in that valley, but nowadays it lost the beautiful of the river by the weather, even people didn’t find pure water to drink or place to live.

The car almost got turned from the strong trend. Hyoyeon panicked and lay down her body on top of the car then clung to the car right window which was luckily opened.

The water was a few centimeters away from her, as the blond expressed her resentment of what was happening to her in that muddy paste that swallow everything around her , also she saw it sallow small poor creatures and even some big animals.

Although the threat of lightning, Hyoyeon felt safe as she still clang on top of her car. The car started to sank slowly , as the river was going to sallow her with the car too, she tried to look for a safe place to clung on , first she saw a tree , but it was bad idea because the lightening reaches everywhere even the trees.

She moved her body to unite with the car then clung more to it and closed her eyes. The lightning increased suddenly while she kept mumbling “damn it, I’m not so strong, ” , then she decided to open her eyes, she thought ito herself if that was her end she should die bravely , she let her hands and slide to the ground not bothered by the strong of the mud.

Hyoyeon sat contracted positions in the middle of the improvised raft with fully convince that her end was close. She closed her eyes again ready to what will happen next until she felt a ray of light shining above her face , as the sound started from fade to a loud one , it was a helicopter was going to land.

The plane landed about 10 meters far above the car, and then an angle came from the middle of the darkness, a modern angle that was sliding from an orange rope into the raft with his knee, then he catches her from her wrist before she will fall in the muddy river.

She thought that she was a victim of hallucination, she asked herself: if she’s dreaming? No she’s not, he is really an angle, actually her angle, and she always called him by “my angle”.

“Siwon?!”  -Her voice wandered in the noise.

She screamed again:

“Choi Siwon?!”

She expresses her delight and huge surprise at the same time. A large number of happy feelings stricken her but he didn’t share same feelings (impressions) with her.

“What the….! Hyoyeon! Among all the places you choose the most worst dangerous place in the whole world!”

He passed the rope around her hips and wrapped it around her legs, which was linked with him too. Hyoyeon noticed the gloom on his face and his looks same as the atmosphere around them so darkness and gloomy.

Siwon remain silent as he continue his job, he adjust the bag that contains her camera and a recorder behind her back. She sticks by his shoulders, and then he held her tightly then made a signal to the commander to lift the rope up.

In her mind were many questions: Dose he just returned to the village? This is impossible. Hyoyeon have made many visits to this place but she never sees him around even just once, that make her more surprised: Maybe he returned from few days?

They haven’t met each other since last time on the valley 5 years ago.

The strong wind made the lifting process very hard. Siwon felt that she might loses her consciousness so he decided to hold her close, suddenly their legs became intertwined automatically, that made Hyoyeon feel uncomfortable. She raised her eyes towards him then she smiled (a gratitude smile) to him although she can’t see his face clearly due to the darkness. Hyoyeon didn’t know if he will answer that smile or he will keep silent, then she felt his hand pats her back to encourage her as a sign that he saw she’s thankful to him.

When they reach the helicopter door he helped her to remove the rope then they sat at the passenger seats, then both of them put the seatbelts after that the plane took off.

The sound of the plane and the thunder was so noisy, so they couldn’t start any conversation. Siwon turned his gaze to Hyoyeon at the same time she did the same. Luckily the noise made them silent because of that unexpected meeting their voices was locked. Both were never believed that they might meet again after all these years. 

Siwon moved up forward then leaned to the Captain and whispers something to him and sat back facing her. He suddenly hugged her in his arms, he was glad she still alive, although he wanted to kill her because of her stupidity, he didn’t feel such a fear on another person just as he felt to her.

Hyoyeon was drying her hair while Siwon was in the seat with his face down, his dark black eyes was shining but from a deep anger. He was mumbling to her some word but she didn’t catch any except two words “Return and home” she felt warm hearing these two words; it’s a great feeling to return home safe and to see her father again.

The helicopter landed, Siwon helped her to unlock the seatbelt then he thanked the Captain before he opens the plane door. They walked low-head to avoid the hot air that came from the fan of the Helicopter.

Hyoyeon raised her head and looked around then she asked him:

“Why we are here?”

He simply answered:

“Because there are no other places available at this time and I can’t let you stay in any of the cheap motels”

He grabbed her hand

“Wait, my Dad….”

“I’m sure he is sleeping peacefully right now, u don’t have to worry about that”

Siwon pressed hardly on her hand, he was afraid that she might lose her consciousness again; he tried to walk as fast as he could to avoid the muddy land and the heavy rain. Hyoyeon was about to fall from his hastiness, but his grab was strong enough to support her.

She was having hard time to continue walking like this; -he is defiantly in a bad mood- she thought to herself.

She looked to him as she saw a sad and gloomy look in his eyes while they were walking in the side of the farm of his house. She remembered that he gave her the same look on the last day they were with each other 5 years ago.