IAOSL 02

Chapter 02

“What was that call?”
“Hm?”
“Was it your husband?”
“Oh, uh-huh.”

At my casual question, my sister avoided my gaze and nodded.

Resting my chin on my hand, I quietly watched her strange behavior.

Back at the dining table, she fiddled with the coffee grinder that refused to work and muttered to herself.

“D-Did it break…? Why isn’t this working?”

Seriously, what a disaster with machines.

If I left her alone, it seemed unlikely I’d get even a sip of water today, let alone coffee. I straightened up from where I had been leaning against the island counter and said,

“Forget it. Don’t bother. I’ve got to head out soon anyway.”

“Huh? Already? You just got here!”

“Your little sister is a busy woman, you know. I thought you’d obviously be leaving for your honeymoon today, so I didn’t even take time off work.”

“…Really? Still, you could stay the night…”

“Yeah, no thanks. Do I look clueless enough to sleep over at a newlywed couple’s house?”

Even after my teasing remark, my sister’s expression didn’t brighten.

As I stood up to leave, she nervously rubbed her fingertips together.

Seriously, she’s such a baby.

“I’ll drink your coffee next time.”

“…When is next time?”

“Well, maybe after this case wraps up?”

Seeing how disappointed she looked, I offered a promise with no real date attached to it.

Since she knew I’d just taken on a new case, she clearly didn’t like my answer, but she said nothing.

I watched her with a smile before pointing playfully at the unplugged grinder.

“You know, if you promise to check whether the electric grinder is actually plugged in before making coffee, maybe that date could come sooner.”

“…Huh?”

“If you’re going to make coffee for your sister, at least plug the thing in first. Shaking it around isn’t going to help.”

Only then did she realize the grinder wasn’t plugged in.

At my playful scolding, she laughed awkwardly.

“Oh? Listen to you talking to your older sister like that.”

“In what world are you the older one? You’re so hopeless that people outside think I’m the older sister.”

Even with the criticism mixed into my teasing, she just laughed happily.

Relieved that the mood had lightened a little, I slipped on my shoes at the entrance. Just then, she told me to wait and hurried back into the room.

As I waited by the door, she returned carrying a beige cardigan.

I frowned at the sight of her putting on her shoes.

“What are you doing?”

“I should at least walk you out. It’s your first time visiting today.”

“Oh please, that’s not necessary.”

“Tsk, listen to your sister.”

Putting on a stern expression, she shoved past me and grabbed the doorknob first.

Before I could stop her, she had already stepped outside, and I reluctantly followed behind her stubborn self.

“You know you can be unbelievably stubborn sometimes, right?”

I scolded her as we entered the elevator, her wearing nothing but a thin cardigan despite the cold.

“Still not as stubborn as you.”

I chuckled at her reply and turned toward the mirror.

My hair had grown long enough to brush my shoulders.

Ugh, it’s annoying. Maybe I should tie it up.

As I looked at the plain black hair tie around my wrist, I caught sight of my sister in the reflection.

Her long straight hair flowed down to her chest, and on her slender wrist was a scrunchie decorated with a large flower.

Looking at things like this really made it obvious how different our tastes were.

Her girlish preferences versus my “comfort is king” attitude.

Right around then, the elevator reached the first floor and the doors slid open.

A chilly gust of wind blew in through the opening, and my sister rubbed her arms.

Seriously, she’s hopeless.

“You’ve walked me out far enough. It’s cold, so stop being stubborn and go back upstairs.”

“Why? I’ll walk you to your car.”

“My car’s not in the apartment garage.”

“What? Then where did you park?”

“In the alley out front.”

“The alley? The one where the streetlight’s broken?”

“Was it broken? It was still daylight when I parked, so I didn’t notice.”

“You should’ve parked inside! Why would you leave it somewhere dangerous like that?!”

My sister suddenly raised her voice.

Startled, I blinked at her.

Was this really something worth getting that upset over?

“Whoa, you scared me! Is this really something to get angry about?”

“I-I’m not angry. It’s just dangerous…”

She mumbled awkwardly, trying to explain herself.

I sighed deeply and replied,

“I just didn’t bother registering my car for parking. Too much trouble.”

“……”

“And it’s not dangerous. Who would dare mess with my car?”

“…Yeoreum.”

“Mess with my car? That’d basically be challenging the entire Korean Prosecutors’ Office.”

I deliberately joked around more than usual so she wouldn’t worry unnecessarily, but even then her expression didn’t improve.

“Fine. Then just to the car.”

“…You’re always sickly, so why are you being so stubborn today?”

Even at my annoyed expression, she clamped her lips shut, clearly unwilling to back down.

Seriously, sometimes she’s even more stubborn than I am.

Eventually, I gave up trying to change her mind and started toward the alley where I’d parked. She hurried after me.

As I glanced at her thin cardigan in the nearly December weather, I spoke again.

“You really are hopeless.”

“But you came all this way. How could I just let you leave?”

She pouted at my scolding.

Not wanting to make my already tearful sister cry again, I reluctantly changed the subject.

“Oh right. You said you were getting your driver’s license?”

“Yeah. My agency’s CEO told me I should start driving myself.”

“‘CEO,’ my ass. He should drive you himself. You’re signed under his agency anyway.”

“Yeoreum.”

At my sarcastic remark, my sister called my name in a low voice.

Avoiding her stern gaze, I pointed out the awkward title she’d used.

“But honestly, I’m not the only one who needs fixing.”

“Hm?”

“You don’t call your husband ‘CEO’ when talking to other people too, do you?”

“Ah…”

“No matter what, you’re married now. Calling him ‘CEO’ in front of others sounds weird. You should be careful.”

“Ah, I guess I’m still not used to it. I keep slipping up and getting self-conscious about it.”

My innocent sister smiled sheepishly, having completely forgotten her irritation after I smoothly changed the subject.

I looked away from her embarrassed smile.

Honestly, I’d been pretty shocked when my shy, introverted sister said she was going to marry without love.

I wondered what kind of thoughts led her to make that decision.

If there had been adults around she could rely on for advice, would she have chosen differently?

I suddenly felt resentful toward Mom and Dad for leaving us behind so early.

“What about your in-laws? Are they nice people?”

“…They’re not bad people.”

Unable to lie, my sister answered with “not bad” instead of “good.”

The meaning behind that vague answer felt painfully clear.

And suddenly, even the cold impression I’d gotten from her husband bothered me.

I bit my lip, trying to suppress the ache in my chest, then pointed toward my car in the distance.

“There’s my car. We’re here now, so hurry back upstairs before you catch a cold.”

But even when I urged her to go back, she stopped walking and stared into the alley as if searching for something.

I turned in the direction she was looking.

“What? Do you see something?”

“Huh? O-Oh, no. Nothing. Let’s just go to the car.”

“What’s with you today, seriously?”

“Hurry up and go! Stop talking nonsense!”

As though she’d seen something she shouldn’t have, her face was pale with fear.

Confused by her reaction, I furrowed my brows—then noticed the streetlight in the alley had indeed gone out.

“Oh, wow, it really is broken. I should call the district office and—”

“Yeoreum!”

At the same moment my sister screamed my name, the roar of an engine echoed through the alley.

When I turned around, a black car was speeding straight toward us.

Warm arms wrapped around me.

And then the world went dark.

Beyond my fading consciousness, I heard hurried footsteps.

A strange ringing mixed with shrill tinnitus echoed in my ears.

People were shouting frantically, but their voices sounded muffled and distorted.

“…What happened…? Her vitals…?”
“There’s too much bleeding! Her femoral artery and the rest of her body—”
“The hit-and-run victim… she’s going into arrest!”
“Get the defibrillator!”
“Charging to 80!”
“80 charged!”

Through my blurry vision, I could see a stark white ceiling.

The sharp smell of cresol stung my nose, and the sticky sensation running down my cheek felt all too familiar.

The metallic scent of blood and my unmoving limbs made it obvious where I was.

So this really was a hospital.

“Mom…!”
“D-Doctor! Please save my parents!”
“Mom, Dad, don’t die! Please don’t die!”

That horrible smell I’d known too well as a child dragged back memories I never wanted to relive.

“Charging to 160!”
“160 charged!”

The desperate cries of doctors trying to save someone echoed through the emergency room.

With a heavy thud, someone beside me jolted violently on the bed.

The frantic voices of the medical staff mixed with the sound of someone sobbing.

Beeeeeeep—

The cruel flatline tone you only heard in dramas filled the room as the vital signs became a straight line.

Was it pity for the stranger on the verge of death beside me?

Or pity for myself, knowing I might soon follow them?

I slowly turned my head, wanting to witness what might be someone’s final moment.

Beyond the white coats surrounding the patient, I caught glimpses of a blood-covered woman’s face.

A black hair tie—exactly like mine—was wrapped around her wrist.

That hair tie…

“200!”
“200 charged!”

At the staff’s final shout, the woman’s body jerked upward once more before falling limp.

Struggling to force my heavy eyelids open, I turned my head fully.

And there, I saw a familiar face.

No—

I saw my own face.

I blinked slowly, unable to believe what I was seeing.

But the blood-soaked face staring back at me remained unchanged.

Am I dead?

Is that why I’m seeing myself?

“We’re stopping compressions. November 30th, 10:35 PM. Patient Han Yeoreum has been declared deceased.”

The doctor pronounced my death with a face full of helplessness and despair.

And strangely enough, at that moment, it almost felt as though the version of me that had already stopped breathing met my gaze.

From eyes so bloodshot that every vessel had burst, a single tear slipped down.

For some reason, the sight didn’t feel real at all.

And once again, darkness swallowed my consciousness.