Truth, you ask? What truth? The fact that Kevin and Seong Jin have been a couple since childhood? And at the age of 21, they have to decide whether to marry or not? The fact that Kevin started liking Seong Jin more and more by day, and thinks about accepting it? Oh, no, this would be nothing... The most important thing is that when she found out that her parents have arranged her couple life, she suffered a mental breakdown and her psychic sanity was going down the drain day by day. Yet, Soo Hyun knew nothing about all these. He just liked Seong Jin with all his heart.

Seong Jin didn't want him heartbroken... She knew she liked him more than she liked Kevin, but she had no choice. Her parents knew that because of her mental instability, she'll go crazy even before she reached 21 and either get killed or, eventually, kill herself, in her of murdering. But one thing escaped their minds - that her heart warmed up next to Soo Hyun. She was just like a child. No sadist things would pass through her mind.

Seong Jin herself knew her own fate. She didn't have much left to live anyway. When Soo Hyun confessed to her, it was obvious that she was about to explode in happiness. Yet, she kept it hidden deep inside, shedding only a slight smile in delight. She didn't want to let Soo Hyun know about her fate. She didn't want him to love her... She knew that if she died sooner or later, under any circumstances, he'd go numb. Even though Soo Hyun was like a mental drug to her, she couldn't keep on with it forever. Her mental disorder was getting more severe by day. Someday, somehow, it wouldn't work anymore...

Soo Hyun looked to his side. Somewhere, buried in the sand and covered in snow, there was something made of wood. Cherry wood. He bent down and picked it up. A thunder shot across his heart, shattering it from top to bottom. It was all clear now...

[ Flashback ]

“Oppa!” her voice screeched across the halls. Yet, it was music to his ears.
“Hey, watch where you’re stepping!” Soo Hyun replied smiling as he felt Seong Jin jump onto his back. “You could have least told you want a piggyback ride!”
“I don’t want one…” she pouted and got off his back. “Oppa, I wanted to ask you if you want to come with Kevin and I at the cinema tonight.” She smiled broadly, hoping for a positive answer.

Soo Hyun’s smile faded almost instantly as he heard Kevin’s name.

Kevin, Kevin. Why did he always have to be around too? He understood the friendship that bounded the three of them, but Kevin and Seong Jin being a bit closer than Seong Jin and him made him felt like a third wheel to the bike.

“Sorry, Seong Jin.” He sighed and patted her shoulder, “But tango’s only for two.” He looked straight into her eyes and forced a smile as he turned around and left.

Seong Jin stood there, a bit shocked of his words. She just stared into the distance, until Soo Hyun was out of her sight. She sighed and decided to go see Kevin. But just as she turned around, she bumped into a tall, well-built man. She winced in pain and was about to swear at him, until she looked up.

“Oh, hi Kevin.” She said with a blunt voice.
“Hi dear.” He smiled widely as he curled her hair behind her ear, lowering to kiss her cheek.
“Heh…” Seong Jin faked a chuckle as she tried avoiding his kiss, but didn’t succeed. “How are you?”
“I was just searching for you.” He straightened, looking at her. “Shall we go to the cinema now?”
“Uhm…” Seong Jin hesitated a bit, “I think I have something to do, oppa.” She fiddled with her fingers, avoiding Kevin’s gaze. “Mom asked me to help her with cleaning and cooking today.” She pointed backwards with her thumb.

Before waiting for an answer from Kevin, she spinned on her heels and ran away, searching for the exit. On her way, after a corner turned in speed, she saw a familiar face – maybe too familiar.

“… So you heard everything, right…?” she stopped and sighed, crouching next to Soo Hyun.
“Yeah…” Soo Hyun nodded. “Why didn’t you go with him? He’s your boyfriend after all…” Soo Hyun pouted and eyed her questioningly.
“Because you didn’t come.” She snuggled up to him, leaning her head on his shoulder as she emphasized ‘you’.

[ End of Flashback ]

He saw everything. Everything. Or so he thought…

[ Flashback ]

“No! Let me go!” she screamed.
“Hold her tight!” the doctor tried covering her voice as nurses were on desperate attempts to control her struggles.

Soo Hyun turned around, unable to take in the grotesque scenery before his eyes. He sniffed once, trying to restrain his tears. Thousands of thoughts shot through his mind, as he couldn’t focus on something specific. His eyes darted everywhere, as he was searching for answers on the white walls. Another couple of nurses passed by him in a rush, spinning him around at that moment, without wanting. Soo Hyun’s eyes shot open as he saw the doctor pull the white cloth over Seong Jin’s face. His hand easily made its way towards his chest, tightly clutching the cloth near his heart. His eyes couldn’t accept their sight, and his consciousness refused accepting the truth. He shut his eyes closed and spinned on his heels, pacing out of the psychological section of the hospital. When he opened his eyes, he was already in the halls. He saw people waiting to be consulted, he saw injured children, he saw pain and agony. Back there, where he left from, Seong Jin’s hand fell from the stretcher, revealing her pale, cold skin. Her last tear moistened the white cloth that covered her body, staining it with a sick shade of red.

[ End of Flashback ]

The photo of Seong Jin, Kevin and him, all of them smiling happily, was buried between sand and snow. The glass covering the photo, in the frame, was broken in two parts – Kevin’s and Seong Jin’s. The glass that covered his part of the photo was still intact. He brushed his finger over the broken glass and let a tear fall. It wouldn’t hurt anyone, after all. He then sniffed, regaining his senses. As he looked to his right, he recalled the hospital scenery – Seong Jin was lying on the ground, Kevin covering her with his white jacket.

“Kevin! What are you doing?!” Soo Hyun raged as he ran towards him.

He reached his hand to grab Kevin’s collar and then beat the heck out of him, but his hand just passed through him, Kevin’s image becoming slightly translucent, vibrating easily as Soo Hyun fell through it. As his body came in contact with the snow, mixed with humid sand, he winced in pain as his eyes instantly flew to Seong Jin. Kevin’s jacket was too small to cover all of Seong Jin’s body, revealing her slender legs and her pale hand. Kevin then stretched and put the gun back in his pocket. He picked Seong Jin up and wanted to disappear, but Soo Hyun, in his desperate attempts to rise from the ground, he caught onto the jacket that covered Seong Jin’s body. It had a reddish stain on the face area. Kevin stopped and turned his head, trying to face Soo Hyun. But he just looked at some point next to him.

“Kid, don’t come after her.” He then nodded and continued his track, walking with small steps towards the sea, and even after the water covered their bodies over their heads, he continued walking.

Soo Hyun just stood there, too amazed to do or say something. He understood everything, at last. He did. He truly did.

He acknowledged that Seong Jin died even before he left.

He acknowledged that the guy that hit them was Kevin, and Seong Jin’s hesitation into looking at who it was finally got an explanation.

He found the logic reason why Seong Jin’s body was as cold as ice, but she told that she was fine.

And even if the truth hurt so much, he knew it, at least. If life wasn’t harsh, no matter how harsh, then it wouldn’t have been called ‘life’.

Everything was an illusion to him. Everything was an illusion of time. An illusion of time being too patient with him. He thought it would last forever. It was only an illusion.

“Goodbye;” he left the word hanging in the air, waiting for a continuation of his own illusion.

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Finally., the story is all done., thanks to the subscribers of the story and for all the reader's comments., ^^ thank you also to those silent reader., at least you find time to read this., ^^ and to the future readers and commentors, thanks in advance., :