Chapter 3. Decision

At the camp site

Eunjung’s POV

“Appa, Omma , please don’t leave me, please don’t leave  ” , Hyomin’s soft whimper woke me up in the middle of the night, it doesn’t take long for me to realize that she is having a nightmare ( again ) , “ Hyomin ah” , I whisper audibly and hug the girl in her sleep to calm her down ,short after she goes back to sleep and smile in her sleep , I can’t help but smile along , this angelic smile that I like a lot.  This is the second night of our field trip that I shared a tent with Hyomin, it has been aged since we had time alone like this , I must admit I really enjoy spending time with her though I feel bad for Jiyeon that she couldn’t come , and spend time with us ,  I keep hugging her and it feels so comfortable that my eyes lids are getting heavier and heavier.

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Next Day

Eunjung’s POV

Teacher “Hello students, today we are getting ready to go back home, there will be no more activity, so you are allowed for free time doing whatever you want around the camp site but not far from this area for this whole morning, please get your bags packed and we will set off after lunch”, after the end of announcement, joyful chit-chat and loud hooray from students was filled in the air.

I take Hyomin’s hand and proceed to our tent to pack our stuff when a boy from our class named Wooyoung approaches us.

“Hi , Hyomin” Wooyoung greeted Hyomin with smile while ignoring me like I was the air.

 “Hi, Wooyoung”, Hyomin greeted back .

“I wonder if you would like to have a walk with me” Wooyoung shyly ask .Unconsciously I held Hyomin’s hand tighter.

“Hmm, I am sorry Wooyoung , I need to pack my stuff and I’ve already had a plan after that”

Wooyoung seemed to lose his confidence with the answer but manages to say “Oh, it’s fine, no problem, see you at lunch then”. “Ok, see you”.

We take less than 15 minutes to pack our stuff and make sure we don’t forget anything.

“Let’s go unnie” Hyomin cheerfully suggests, we have a plan to go to waterfall nearby our camp site that we went to the other day for school activity, Hyomin seemed to like that place a lot.

We arrive at the waterfall but we were warned not to go down in to the water without teachers’ care and observation so we just sit there enjoy the scenery and listening to water sound.

“I used to enjoy swimming a lot when I was younger, we had a swimming pool at our house”, Hyomin tells me reminiscing of her past while looking straight at the water.

“I can’t swim” I admit, feeling slightly embarrassed, Hyomin changes her attention from water to look at me

“But you can cook unnie and you are really good at it”, Hyomin is always amazing at cheering up people, she knows how to bring out the best in other and never fails to make me smile and be happy for being me.

We stay there for two hours so we decide to go back to get ready to leave for our “home” to our youngest friend. I get up from my sitting position and about to offer hand to Hyomin but I slip on the stone and the next thing I know I’ve already in the river.

Hyomin’s POV

Thing happens so fast , Eunjung unnie stands up and suddenly she slips and the next thing I hear is the sound of her body clashing with water, I get very panicked , my heart beats faster seeing her struggling to get above the water,  “ Help“ , without a second thought , I jump into the river to help Eunjung unnie, and as soon as I get her , I try to stop her from struggling and lock her neck, with all my strength I try to swim and pull her into riverbank , finally we reach the riverbank .

 “Are you alright unnie?” I ask worried, Eunjung unnie looks pale but nods, she coughs water, I sooth her back.

“Thank you Hyomin ah , you save me” Eunjung unnie manages to smile to reassure that she is fine,

“ Don’t mention it unnie, I’m more than happy that you are safe ” , I hug her and she hugs me back ,  then teachers come running to us along with some classmates “ What happens kids ? “ a female teacher ask , “ Eunjung unnie fell into river”  I explain , our female teacher quickly takes off her jacket to wrap around Eunjung unnie while a male teacher takes off his cover my shoulder, “ Let’s go back to our camp site ” , our teachers and classmates try to help us walk to the camp site.

Suddenly, I feel a sharp pain at my chest, but try to subside it, I keep walking ignoring the pain but my heart is getting tighten with more and more unbearable pain, it is getting harder to breathe, then everything goes blank.

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Jiyeon’s POV

Today I couldn’t concentrate to my classes, my focus was on nothing but window, I was waiting for last class to be dismissed so I could go back “home” to see Eunjung unnie and Hyomin, they should arrive by the time I get there.

I have to hold my stomach from all the running when I arrive at our orphanage home gate, I go straight to our dorm room and open the door in the hope to find those two in our room but to my disappointment, I find only empty room “ They may be a little bit late” I tell myself .

“Jiyeon ah !” , I hear Sister Khahi calling me from the hallway “ Yes , Sister” , she walks closer to me with  worry written all over her face which it doesn’t me feel any better , “ Jiyeon ah, we got a news from Hyomin’s school today” , she pauses “ Hyomin was rushed to hospital this afternoon after she passed out” , that’s enough to make my heart sink , I get numb and my heart aches , it hurts enough to make tear falling from my eyes, that’s the moment I cry without sound.

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At Seoul Hospital

Flashback

This was the longest and most torturing wait Eunjung had ever been through in her life, she was waiting in front of Emergency Room with a teacher and Mother Soo Ae who just arrived after receiving news . Though she had Mother Soo Ae there to comfort her but it didn’t lessen her fear any bit, she was blaming herself for being a reason that Hyomin had to end up in this place.

The door of Emergency room was opened and she was taken back a bit, she was afraid to hear what doctor had to say

 “Is Ms.Park’s family or relative here?” asked the doctor in stern tone

 “I am her guardian, how is Hyomin , doctor ? ” Mother Soo Ae stood up and answered the doctor

 “She is now safe”

Everybody sighed with relief.

“But I need to talk to you about her disease”

“What’s wrong with her? “ Mother Soo Ae raised a question

“She was diagnosed with a heart disease”

At orphanage home

Jiyeon came running to see Mother Soo Ae at her office after she was told that she just came back from hospital. As soon as she entered the office she asked Mother Soo Ae about what happened.

“ Hyomin has a heart disease , she had a sudden heart attack because she was too panicked when she saw Eunjung was drowning and jumped to cold river to help her , she needs heart transplanted if not she won’t be with us for long ” Mother Soo Ae sadly told her , if it was for another 12 years old girl “ Heart disease” might not sound scary as it was for Jiyeon who had lost her beloved father because of heart attack . She was shocked and scared before she knew it, she started crying.

“Please help her Mother “ , Jiyeon was on her knee begging and crying , it was a heartbreaking  sight for middle age women.

“ Jiyeon , I promise to help her as much as we can under one condition “ , Jiyeon raised up her face hearing that .

“Accept Mr.Kim & Ms. Jung’s offer to adopt you”

Without any hesitation , Jiyeon made her decision “ Yes , I will “