First Snow

Wrong Train, Right Direction

The ride to the hospital was silent, he didn't even know how Agent Kim had done it, but he felt grateful like he never thought he would be towards a NIS agent.

With each minute passing, he felt as if he was losing her, as if she was fading little by little into a distant memory while he was chasing after her to no avail. His eyes rested on the ring he wore on his finger. This ring represented so much, despite his attempt not to give it meaning. It represented the love he had for her, his loyalty in a future yet compromised. He didn't want to trap her or prevent her from moving forward in any way, he loved her and he wanted her happiness above all else, but somewhere, deep in his heart and soul, a selfish and possessive part of him hoped that she would wait for him, though, no matter what happened. The reality of the hours to come was so cruel that he felt his life no longer belonged to him, he no longer recognized anything. So much had changed since the day he met her ...

When the car parked in front of the hospital, he almost jumped out of it, he vaguely heard Agent Kim calling after him but he was already sprinting inside, climbing the stairs two by two, only to find himself in front of an empty room. Frozen, out of breath, his eyes stared at the empty bed as cold sweat gathered on his forehead.

Where was she?

He turned around, and grabbed a nurse, who almost yelped in surprise. He knew he probably looked like a mess, but he couldn't care less.

"Yoon Seri, she was in this room, where... Where is she?"

She seemed to recognize him and compassion replaced fear on his face. He hated it. The last time a doctor had looked at him with so much pity was when he heard that his brother was in a coma.

"In intensive care unit ..."

He released her, as her legs almost gave way under his weight.

"You are her husband, aren't you? My colleagues warned me, they told me that you would surely come back, that you never left her bedside ..."

She offered to lead him to the unit in question, and although unfortunately he knew perfectly well where it was located, he followed her in silence, lost in a daze.

"Ri Jeong Hyeokssi ..."

Seri's mother got up and came to meet him. Her eyes were red and she looked like she was on the verge of collapsing, but when she took his hands, it was with amazing force.

"I'm so glad you're here ..."

He was surprised. Even though he was innocent, he still had been suspected of having killed her son, he did not expect to be greeted with open arms. The nurse left them and he let himself be led to the seats, where he automatically sat down next to her.

"The doctors are with her, they asked me to wait outside ... I am relieved that you are here ... She needs you ..."

They sat silently for a while, him too engrossed in his own pain to be able to offer words of comfort or any form of polite conversation. Wave of sadness and despair were coming in turn, drowning any other conscient feeling. Both were sitting still, watching for the slightest noise signaling them that their wait would finally come to an end. The intensive care unit was set back enough not to be disturbed by the hustle and bustle of the hospital, but without the distraction of people coming and going, time dragged on in endless wait.

"When I met my late husband, I thought I was in love. I thought we were getting married out of love, even though everything had been arranged by our families. I wanted it to be true, so much that I convinced myself it was... I soon realized that it was wrong, especially on his side. ... "

Ri Jeong Hyeok froze, not knowing how to react at the sudden confession.

"I realize all the more that I was wrong all these years, just recently, when I see all the love you have for her ..."