So Min

I stared at the white smoke swirling off the tip of the gun. Then, I averted my gaze to the man who threatened to harm me. I found him sprawled on the floor, with fresh blood oozing from his chest. I inched nearer and lightly kicked his leg to ensure that he was truly unconscious. He did not move.

I killed him!

I started to tremble at the thought of having taken a life. My stomach churned inside out and I started to throw up.

“So Min..”

Before I could recover from my fear, I went to Hyun Joong’s beckon quickly and supported his head in my arms. He smiled at me with relief, “Good job, So Min. Who says women are not good shooters…”

He breathed heavily, “You are safe now”, grabbing his wound as he coughed out more blood.

“Shh..don’t talk. You must rest.” I took his bloodied hand and covered his wound with mine. Blood continued to ooze through my fingers.

He raised his hand to caress my cheek and murmured, “I don’t want to close my eyes…I’m afraid I won’t see this beautiful face again.”

I swallowed my tears, hoping that he would live through this ordeal. “You will..you will! I’ll be here when you wake up….and we…” 

I did not complete what I wanted to say when his eyelids fell as his head lolled backwards. His hand fell from my face.

Before I could fully absorb the full episode folding out before me, I saw lights coming from all directions. In seconds, unformed bodies surrounded us and a voice asked, “Miss, are you alright?” 

I sighed, relief that I was finally not alone. Lowering my eyes to Hyun Joong, my aching heart whispered, “Please hang on there…”

*****************************************************************************

“How are you related to Mr Kim?”

 I looked up dazedly at the man with green coat and cap. For the past hours, exhaustion, fear and despair had crippled my ability to feel and to speak. I hardly remembered what happened after Hyun Joong said his last words. The occurrence thereafter rolled out before me as if I was watching a silent movie in slow motion, except I was one of the characters in this tragedy.

I recalled faintly people in uniforms rushing into the scene to carry the bodies of the two men away. Paramedics wrestled Hyun Joong off my grip and shoved him into an ambulance. Someone had escorted me into a police car and brought me to the station for interrogation. I did not remember exactly what I told them but I put my signature onto my statement and they sent me off to where I was now. But one thing that I did remember and jested mentally about was that it turned out that Hyun Joong and I were not great shooters. For if we were, the crooks would be lying in their grave instead of in their cell now. We missed their hearts by a few centimeters, fortunately. Otherwise, we would have been in the cell instead for manslaughter even if we could justify that we were merely defending ourselves.

Now, draped in a blanket that could barely shield my body from shivering, I was seated on a bench along a corridor. People in white coats and dresses were bustling in and out of a room where a red light hung above the door. A man had just walked out from the room and approached me, asking about my relationship with Hyun Joong.

 Slowly, my voice found me. “Colleague.” I mouthed, almost a whisper.

 “Are you able to contact his family members?”

 Eyeing him with a numbed expression, I replied, “I don’t know any of his family members,” and added dryly, “Why?”

 “Mr Kim is in a critical condition.” He said matter-of-factly. “We managed to remove the bullet that barely missed his heart by a few millimetres. But, he had lost lots of blood. We are transfusing blood into his body. Whether he lives is solely dependent on his own will.” Voice void of emotion, he continued, “If you know his family members, please call them here. He needs all the encouragement to survive through tonight.”

 “May I see him, doctor?” 

“He will be sent to the ICU in level two in a while. I will ask the nurse to bring you there when we have settled him there.” He furrowed his brows into a tight knit to look at me intensely. “Are you So Min?  

I was shocked for the second time that a stranger knew my name. The first time was when one of the thugs spoke my name correctly and brought me through hell. Now here in the hospital, no one had requested my name for their address so far.

 “How did you know me?”

 He smiled at me warmly. “Stay by his side. I believe you are all he needs to live through tonight.” Then, he returned to the operating theatre.

 I stood rooted in my position as I stared after his retreating back, puzzled.