Inside that white box-like room, there was a woman holding the hand of the one lying down, with grief all over her face. She quietly sat, looking at his face, without any remorse or intention to part with him. She just wanted to be beside him, it’s all about that.

Choi Jinri knocked at the door. There was no response even to that woman. She didn’t give it a thought to open the door for her.

Jinri quietly entered the room, with a little bit of regret. She wasn’t shock that Jung Soojung was there. Soojung looked more wary of her appearance as Jinri comfortably sat on the couch. She tried to reach for a mineral bottle from the refrigerator next to her. She also didn’t want to open a conversation from her.

“What is it?” Finally, Soojung tried to talk with her. Her eyes, already red, tried to look at her.

“Nothing. Just getting a bottle of water.” It was not that she was taken aback, but she was also scared of Soojung. She didn’t want her to yell at her or even to get angry at her. “I’m…just visiting my…husband.”

“Say what?” Soojung tried to stand and again looked at her. She hurriedly came all out with Jinri and slapped her on the cheek. Jinri dropped the mineral bottle and touched the swollen part of her face. She then looked again at the expression of Jung Soojung.

“Soojung…you’re really grieving, right?” Jinri couldn’t help but to remember that time.

It was that time when the wind was just cold, there was nothing more. The house was filled with the murmurs of the maids and other people. They were getting ready for the husband and wife’s departure. They packed their things and everything was in place.

They finally got to have a vacation.

Jinri happily smiled as she carried the luggage to the back of the vacation car.

“I should do that…” Taemin came swiftly to her aid. She smiled to his husband and planted a kiss on his forehead. “Finally?”

“Yeah, oh…by the way.. after our vacation, let’s look at the seaside house I saw in the ads. I really liked the motif and everything looked so flawless.” Taemin with his puppy eyes tried to convince his wife.

“Of course. You’re getting pretty hyped up with this.” Jinri was so happy after a long time, she finally saw the happiness on her husband’s eyes.

They finally got on the car and went to a beach. Everyone looked at the newlyweds. Some looked happy for them but some looked so jealous especially the girls.

They walked and walked until they got tired. Lee Taemin and Choi Jinri never once parted until they came to the seashore.

Jinri collected seashells and put them inside the buckets. “They’re so colorful.” Jinri seemed to be happy as she looked at the seashells.

“Yeah…” Taemin wrote something in the sand. ‘CHOI JINRI AND LEE TAEMIN’ “I feel like I’m so childish, aren’t I?” Taemin and Jinri giggled.

“Let’s go for a swim.” Jinri laughed as she took off her bath robe and there with her swim wear, she headed for the beach. But, as she run, Taemin chased after her as he back hugged her and whispered to her ears, quite tickling, “I don’t want anyone to see that.”

Jinri blushed and shyly went off to the hotel. “Aish…he’s really something.” She couldn’t hide it but she was really happy deep inside. It was like they were the perfect couple.

They happily treated each other on the restaurant and were happily feeding each other. They were never that sweet before. Jinri could feel the happiness welling up inside her; it filled her so much that she wished time would stop.

“Well…we needed to go to the seaside tomorrow. Beside, we’ll be leaving for tomorrow also.” Taemin winked.

“Well, I wanted it to be the best place ever.” Jinri looked happily as she stretched out her hands and finally said, “Let’s sleep for today?”

“Yeah, I’m also tired.” Taemin also tried to stretch out his hands and held hands with Jinri.

The next day

“It felt like it was really short…” Jinri pouted as she washed her face. She put on some make-up and tried to wake her husband. Taemin slept late so he was probably so tired but also getting perked up about the seaside.

“I really wanted you to see it…” He said while rubbing his eyes. “Ah…I must really be tired.” Taemin chuckled softly.

“Aish, wash your face, would you?” Jinri took out a basin and tried to wash his face.

“You don’t have to do---“Before he knew it, Jinri was already scrubbing his face with the towel. “I’m really lucky to have a nice bride such as you.”

“Then, you better go and change already. I’d be waiting at the car.”

“Neh.” He looked at his wife and looked then at the surroundings. “Ah,it would already be a year. Aish, I really wanted to have some more time with her.” Taemin tried to reach for his eye glasses on the side table but it fell to the ground. “Oh, thank god I brought a spare.” He tried to pick up the broken shards and cut himself.

“Ah…What’s happening with me?” He was having a head ache at that day. He was really overexerting himself just to go to the seaside house.

“Hey, what’s taking you so late? Slowpoke.” Jinri stood next to the car and waved at her husband. “Let’s go!” She chuckled softly, her soft skin made her face glitter more and made Taemin also get the energy he needed.

The Seaside of Dreams

They were nearing a house just near the hotel; Jinri was quite surprised that it was for sale. Everything looked so new and the atmosphere was so great.

“Jinri-yah, it’s this house.” Jinri looked at it and it felt like the house was inviting her.

“This was newly made just this year. It’s nice, right?” Taemin put on his glasses, since he couldn’t see too well.

“Neh. Let’s go inside.” She wanted the place also. It invited a homely feeling to her. Walking on the sand and looking at the moon on the horizon, she wanted to spend eternity to that place. She wanted to walk together with Taemin and just that, her own fantasy; her own dream got so clouded.

As they headed to go already, Taemin put on eye drops on his eyes. It was still quite hard to see. And, the sun was already setting. Jinri was at the sidelines, also sleepy.

“You could sleep…” As Taemin said that, Jinri tried to close her eyes. She was quite happy at these days. She thought that finally they could start a new life together. It felt like it really was a happy ending.

Taemin watched his wife sleeping next to her. He also wanted to sleep; he was up all night just to check that dream house. But, he couldn’t. The roads got so dark all of a sudden and he didn’t know where to go next. He looked at the GPS and tried to make a detour.

He went on surveying the whole place and looking from left to right, he got so dizzy. “Ah…I should have let her sleep on the back seats.” He was really so worried for Jinri. He tried to rub his eyes.

As he did that, a man came passed him and a truck overtook their car, as the sudden events happened, the old man avoided the danger but as the truck made a turn, Taemin was quite having a dangerous turn also. They were on a curve, and the place looked so isolated.

Taemin tried to move forward but he then clashed at the truck.

All of a sudden, there was a quiet silence all around.

As Jinri tried to wake up, she saw Taemin hugging her tightly. She wasn’t hurt but saw the large amount of blood on Taemin’s back. He tried to avoid glasses to go on Jinri’s body and used himself as a shield. But, he wasn’t able to stand the impact and had his head been spinning around, bleeding.

Rescuers came all over the place and tried to take them to the hospital.

Jinri looked dazed as she was lying on the stretcher headed to a hospital room, drenched in blood. But, not her blood, it was Lee Taemin’s. She then looked to the right as she saw it; she tried to reach out for Taemin’s hand. He was also on a stretcher headed for the ICU. She tried to turn her head and tried to reach for his hand closely and closely, but he seemed to be so far away. As she touched the back of his hand, the only moment he was able to reach it, it was already cold.

“Taemin-ah… Taemin-ah…” She wanted to cry. But, the tears seemed to be soiled as well as her voice. She couldn’t scream in pain or even grieve next to him, Jinri wished that they never had arrived at the seaside house. She wished she should be the one to drive the car and let him rest, she wished she had never allowed him to sleep late.

As her head came up with more and more sad thoughts, she lost consciousness.

“Where am I?” In the hospital room, there were a couple of people. Jong In with Soojung came in. Jong In was also her close friend and confidant. Before, he tried to confess to her but he was always rejected. Now, she asked Jong In for a question that would break her heart.

“Where’s Taemin?”

“Jinri-yah…He’s comatose. He woke up just after the accident happened and was despe..rately looking for you.” There were tears on Jong In’s eyes.

“Jong In-ah, don’t tell her.” Soojung tried to hold her boyfriend’s arm.

“What is it?” Jinri was more concerned now to what happened to Taemin.

“He wanted to pass this message to you, ‘Someday… We would still be able to meet again. Keep the fai.th.’” Then, Jong In tried to wipe the formed tears on his face.

Soojung tried to continue, “The doctors already told us. He’s now a living dead. Even our family got dismayed, but we allowed them to remove the respirator that was his only way to breath. In other words, he would die already.”

“No…no way…” Jinri looked at her hands. But, just…it was like just a moment ago, I was with him, holding his hands. No…no way, there must be a way…he…he’s going to live.”

“Then, Jinri looked at him. Look at my brother’s vegetative state. If he would survive, he won’t be able to walk, or even stand. His face was even damaged and he couldn’t even say a phrase properly. It would take him a couple of minutes just for him to look at someone. Please, Jinri-yah! End his suffering.”

“No….no…Get…GET OUT! GET OUT!” Jinri threw the pillow on Soojung. She also threw a tantrum as she tried to remove the tubes from her body. Just to go out and see Lee Taemin for herself. “No…he’s going to live. We promised to start a new life together.”

She tried to run out, getting chased by Soojung and Jong In. She was frustrated, as the drops of blood flow from her wrist after tried to break off from the tubes attached to her, she bit her lips. She tasted her own blood.

“No…no way…Taemin-ah, don’t…” She was now inside his room. Taemin was transferred to another room. It would only be days until his light would die out from his body. The medicines tried to take effect on his face, as now, he looked more of a zombie.

Jinri caressed her husband’s face. Taemin looked obnoxiously unidentifiable. “You were once… the kingka of the school. The cute guy the noonas liked. I’m sorry…” Soojung and Jong In caught up with her. “Soojung-ah, try to call the doctors. Let his sufferings end.”

As Jinri said those words, she sat down and felt nauseous. She also became unconscious.

“Yah! Jinri-yah! Annyeong~” It was a lively man’s voice she heard from her dream out of nowhere.