Never Forget

V

At the end was the light.

Ae Jung, So Min, Min Ji and some others we're heading for it, trying to escape the sinking ship.

"Where's Han Byul?" Min Ji asked.

They soon realized they might have lost her in the way. They tried recalling and regretted how they failed to put more attention on her.

"It's Jae Min," Han Byul said. "Let's get him to come with us. Ah Reum would be sad if we left him behind."

Min Ji who was the one before her couldn't really pay attention. She was more fixated in saving their lives. "Han Byul don't move too much, our hold might loosen."

"Jae Min," Han Byul called out. When Jae Min appeared not to hear her, Han Byul unconsciously took both hands to her mouth and shouted for him once more, "Jae Min!"

"I need to get her," Min Ji felt like it was her fault. She let her slip from her hold.

Ae Jung stopped her, "No, the ship has tilted a lot and its sinking faster. If you go back you might not be able to come back."

"And what? Leave her to save myself?"

The three of them shared silence. They can't possibly do that to their friend. "Can I really leave with this much conscience?" Min Ji started to tear up. "Go, save So Min and yourself first and we will follow." Min Ji said implying she will follow them soon, together with Han Byul. She loosened Ae Jung's hold on her and went back to find Han Byul.

"Let's meet outside, promise that!" Ae Jung shouted and they could see Min Ji nodding.

So Min started to cry. "I'm scared. What will happen to us?"

Ae Jung was also scared but she had to hold back her tears and be strong for her friends. If she show weakness, it won't help but worsen the situation.

Min Ji looked from left to right. It was hard to maintain balance as the ship has tilted so much. Outside the window where she was supposed to see the water meeting the sky, she instead could only see the dark clouds filling the sky. She knew saving Han Byul and herself was a mission that has been declared a failure.

"I'm sorry Mom, Dad, Jun Soo." She cried.

From one room, there were her classmates trying to break the hard glass window. At that moment they could only wish technology hadn't advance and made a glass as sturdy as that of the ship's windows.

A small boat could be seen on top of the window, that was how tilted they are, they realized.

Some got their hopes up. A rescue was going on outside the ship, they could be saved.

Some tried to accept their ill fate. That much tilt would only mean they were close to vanishing to the bottom of the sea.

It became a lot more chaos, the crowd started to panic. People throwing themselves in attempt to break the glass. Unconscious bodies floating. It pained them how they could recognize some of the bodies being tossed by waters. It pained them even more seeing how bruised they were from being tossed helplessly without a fight. They might have hit their heads hard when the ship was unsteady, being swung by the sea.

Were they lucky not to experiencing being tortured by the cold water, slowly being deprived of oxygen? Whatever way they end up with, losing their young lives in the middle of nowhere, far from home, away from their loved ones is evenly cruel.

If only everyone doing the rescue truly cared for them. If only they put their outmost efforts in saving them. If only the rescue started a little earlier, could they have saved more lives. A miracle.

Song: Red Velvet One Of These Nights