1. First Meeting
1. First Meeting
'Of all days, why did I have to run out of food when it's raining?'
I lived in the countryside for 19 years before getting accepted into a four-year university in Seoul. I moved up to the capital alone, finished my freshman year, and then served in the military.
I was living an ordinary life, following the perfectly standard path.
'On a day like this, it would be nice to just order delivery.'
I had saved up a decent amount from my military savings, but since my family's financial situation wasn't that great, I needed to save every penny.
So, I was planning to go to the nearby grocery mart, shop thriftily, and head straight back home.
".... Huh?"
"Haah, haah."
If only I hadn't run into her in the alleyway on my way home.
The moment I saw a fierce-looking woman slumped against the wall, bleeding, I threw down the grocery bag in my hand and rushed over.
Should I call an ambulance in a situation like this? More importantly, it looks like a stab wound. Is this one of those random stabbing incidents? Then I should call the police first...
"A-Are you okay?! Excuse me...!"
"Shut up and get lost."
I approached to check if she was conscious, but the woman frowned and barked at me coldly.
But who would actually get lost when told to in a situation like this? I first held my umbrella over her and examined the wound.
"What do you think you're doing? Didn't you hear me? If it's none of your business, don't interfere and just go."
"How can I not interfere! You're about to die!"
"That's why I'm telling you to just let me die!"
Her tone was quite chilling, matching her tough impression, but I tried my best to ignore it.
'She's probably not in her right mind because of the pain.'
How could anyone think straight? Looking at the wound on her abdomen, it definitely seemed like a knife wound.
Normal people would panic if they got stabbed. I rummaged through my pockets.
Was there anything that could help? Then, my hand caught the handkerchief my mother had made with the neighborhood ladies back in the countryside and given to me.
I had always carried it around like a lucky charm. I quickly pulled it out and pressed it against the wound.
Stopping the bleeding was the first priority.
"Ugh!"
A groan escaped the woman's lips, but it was necessary to save her.
"I don't know what happened, but for now, keep pressing down like this. I'm going to call an ambulance."
"No ambulance!"
"What is wrong with you! I told you to keep pressing with the handkerchief!"
Is she really dying to die? Even though I told her to press down with the handkerchief, she was desperately trying to snatch my phone away.
Besides, how is a woman this strong? Is she really an injured person?
I looked at the woman, who had turned pale from the rain. It was spring, but the chill of winter still lingered, so it was cold once the sun went down.
Since she was getting soaked in the rain in that state, it wouldn't be surprising if she died of hypothermia right now.
If we kept scuffling like this, she would continue to bleed and likely die from excessive blood loss.
"A-Alright! I won't call one, okay!"
In the end, I was the one who waved the white flag. When I put my phone away, the woman seemed relieved and relaxed her strength.
However, I was still at a loss. Do I just leave her like this?
She clearly had no intention of going to a hospital, and if so, she would 100% die.
If I left her here, I felt like my conscience would be burdened for the rest of my life for letting someone die.
Moreover, I was worried that being a bystander might cause problems later.
"Instead, let's go to my studio apartment. I don't have any ulterior motives. I just want to treat you."
If I had ignored her from the start, that would be one thing, but since I had already stepped in to help, I felt I had to see it through to the end.
So, I reached out my hand to her. I looked at her with the determination to drag her along even if she didn't take it.
".... Are you sure you won't regret this?"
Good grief. Her response was something else. 'Sure you won't regret it?'
She spoke as if something terrible would happen if I helped her.
"I think ignoring you and leaving would be the thing I'd regret for the rest of my life. So just take my hand. I know you're very cold right now."
Her shivering shoulders, the sound of the pouring rain, the noise of cars in the distance.
The woman stared intently at the hand I offered.
After a few seconds of hesitation, she took my hand and said.
"Don't regret it. This was your choice."
"I definitely won't, so let's just go. You're still bleeding from your stomach."
At that time, I didn't fully understand what she meant.
What that 'regret' actually signified.
"Don't you ever betray me."
"Betrayal? Were you stabbed by someone you know?"
I was curious, but she didn't answer. Everyone has their stories. I decided not to ask any more questions.
While on my back, the woman went limp like a corpse. It seemed she had exhausted all her strength.
I hurried and brought her into my studio apartment.
There was an ordeal.
I had to take off her rain-soaked clothes.
"Propriety be damned, someone's dying..."
Feeling that it was unavoidable since her life was in danger, I closed my eyes and barely managed to remove only her wet outer layers.
Then, I quickly laid her on the bed I had warmed up and carefully treated the wound.
Of course, the treatment I could provide was merely first aid, so I tried to call an ambulance several times in between.
"Never, absolutely no ambulance.... Never...."
A sigh escaped me at her words as she kept clutching my clothes and speaking desperately.
"Then don't die and make sure you survive. I don't want to go to the slammer because of you."
"Pfft, school isn't as bad as I thought."
"I said the slammer, not school!"
I lowered her raging fever by changing the wet towels periodically.
Fortunately, whether it was because of my sincerity or because this woman's physical endurance was incredible, the bleeding was successfully stopped, and her fever began to drop around dawn.
"Ah, I'm going to die from nursing her."
Only after confirming she was sound asleep did I take a proper look at the woman.
I hadn't noticed because I was so frantic, but seeing her now, she was very beautiful.
She had a fierce impression, a small doll-like head, and a cynical look that exuded a certain decadent beauty.
She was the kind of woman who seemed like she would smell strongly of cigarettes.
"Was she an idol?"
She had the kind of looks that belonged to an idol. Did she get caught up with some nutjob because of her looks and suffer like this?
I sighed and checked the woman's clothes. I felt I should at least know who she was.
"Doesn't she have a phone or a wallet?"
I rummaged through her pockets, but there was no phone. I found a wallet, but I couldn't see anything like an ID inside.
"... Why is there so much money?"
What was even more baffling was the stack of cash inside the wallet.
Who carries this much cash around these days? She looked like the type to carry a card wallet.
The only business card I could find was completely ruined by the rain. The only legible words were Heukyeonhoe Vice-Chairman... and that was it.
Not knowing what Heukyeonhoe was, I sighed and put it back in the wallet.
"Sigh, I don't know. I'll ask her when she wakes up later."
I closed my eyes, thinking I should catch some sleep.
And when I opened my eyes, she had vanished as if it were a lie.
-See you again-
Leaving behind only a single note.
After that, I returned to my peaceful life.
"I'm telling you, you have to sit in the very front row for that Professor-nim! That's how you get good grades."
"The front row is too burdensome."
"Geez. Listen to you. You said you need to get a scholarship."
I was a returning student, but luckily, the Student Council President, Lee Hayoon, was a close classmate of mine, so I was able to blend back into department life easily.
Even now, a week after that day, I kept thinking about her.
Without even knowing her name, she left with just a note saying she'd see me again. I wondered if she was doing well.
"Hey. Kim San, were you thinking about something else with me right next to you again?"
"I was just thinking about home for a moment."
"Home? Come to think of it, did you say your house was in Sunchang?"
"You remember that well. I only mentioned it once during the freshman orientation."
I had attended the general opening meeting once and had a self-introduction time for freshmen.
Everyone mentioned where they lived back then, so I did too, but since there were one or two people from Jeju Island, the attention mostly went to them.
But how does this girl remember that?
"Hmph. I may not look it, but I'm the Student Council President. Of course I know everything."
Is that so? Not thinking much of it, I just accepted it.
"I've been curious about Sunchang for a while, so if I go down there later, can you show me around?"
Sunchang? It's embarrassing for me to say, but there's not much to see.
However, since I had received more than a few favors from her, it was hard to refuse.
"Sure, if you come to visit, I'll show you around."
"Really?"
"Just don't be disappointed."
As if she hadn't heard me at all, Lee Hayoon just had a joyful expression on her face.
Meanwhile, I was at a loss as to what I should even show her in Sunchang.
"Let's go to a cafe. My treat."
"Sorry, but maybe next time. I have to go to my part-time job."
"You really live a diligent life. You need to know how to rest sometimes."
Still, it couldn't be helped. The living expenses my parents sent weren't quite enough to survive the prices in Seoul.
Above all, I had to contribute to my tuition in case I failed to get a scholarship.
So, I had to work part-time whenever I could.
"Is something going on over there?"
The school's main gate was somehow noisy. Seeing people buzzing and crowding around, I wondered if an accident had happened.
Lee Hayoon also seemed interested and turned her gaze that way, and for some reason, I saw a familiar figure there.
A woman in a suit, leaning against a luxury foreign car, looking like she was waiting for someone.
For some reason, just as the thought that I shouldn't go near her began to bloom.
Our eyes met.
"Found you."
The woman, who approached in an instant with her long legs, said to me.
"I told you we'd see each other again. Do you remember?"
I couldn't even answer that I remembered.
Because before I could say anything, she blocked me by pressing her lips against mine.
"I told you. You'll regret it."
In a state of utter bewilderment, I couldn't say a word.
"Since you saved me, you'll have to take responsibility."