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Chapter 2
What does it feel like to die?
It didn’t seem as painful or suffocating as one might think.
But it wasn’t painless either.
Maybe… did Mother feel the same way, too?
Yoon-jae forced himself upright. His gaze fell upon a girl lying motionless nearby. She looked about his age, maybe younger. Dressed in a pure white dress, her skin was just as pale, and beside her lay a wide-brimmed hat big enough to cover her face.
The sight of her, utterly still, sent a chill through him.
Above them stretched a cobalt sky, clouds floating like soft scoops of ice cream. The excited thrill he’d felt while pedaling through the hot breeze had long since fled.
“Hey… wake up.”
Approaching cautiously, Yoon-jae tugged lightly at the edge of her sleeve.
“Can’t you hear me? Open your eyes. Y-you’re not dead, are you?”
Only his own voice echoed back to him. Panic began to creep into his face.
“Please… open your eyes.”
For the briefest moment, he recalled the CPR lessons his swimming coach had once taught him.
She didn’t drown, but maybe… if someone’s unconscious, CPR can bring them back. Maybe I could save her.
Time, they said, was the most important thing. Thinking too much could mean losing the chance.
Doing something is better than doing nothing.
Clenching his fists, Yoon-jae moved closer.
“I’m sorry… but this is only to save you.”
His hand was just about to press against her chest when—
Her eyes opened. Her gaze locked with his.
“W-what! You… you’re not dead?”
“Would you rather I was?”
“Wh-what? No! Of course not, absolutely not!”
“Then why did you come so close to my face? To check if I was dead?”
“I told you—it was to try to save you…”
Her lips were as red as ripe plums.
Her long lashes rested delicately above her eyes.
Her dark pupils shone like glass beads.
Her hair, dark and flowing, rippled like waves.
She was… breathtaking.
“Are you really okay?”
“Who knows.”
“I’m sorry. I thought no one else was around. I thought I was alone… that’s why I kept pedaling faster.”
“Why would you think you’re the only one here? This isn’t just your town.”
“No, I mean… you weren’t answering me, you weren’t moving, so I thought you were…”
“It doesn’t look like worrying about me is what you should be doing right now.”
Her gaze dropped to his knee. His left knee, exposed above his short socks, was smeared with blood.
“It’s nothing. Probably just scraped it when I fell. Doesn’t even hurt.”
“Oh? So you’re a boy, trying to act tough?”
“What?”
“My grandma says men sometimes pretend. They’re scared but act like they’re not. They’re hurt but say they’re fine. Tired but claim they’re strong.”
“I don’t know what kind of men your grandma was talking about, but I’m not like that! I—”
Before he could finish, the girl stepped closer. She pulled free the ribbon tied around her waist and began wrapping it around his knee.
“Wh-what are you doing?”
“Saving you.”
Her breath brushed his skin.
“Fuu…”
She blew gently against the cloth, and with it came a sweet fragrance—like peaches—tickling his nose.
The peach-scented air lingered only for a moment. Before Yoon-jae could speak again, the girl stood, turned, and sprinted off without a backward glance.
If not for the white ribbon around his knee, he might have thought the whole thing had been a dream.
He watched her retreating figure until heavy raindrops began to strike his shoulders. Looking up, he saw the once-clear sky swallowed by storm clouds.
The weather forecast was useless. It said clear skies today.
The drizzle quickly swelled into a downpour, rattling through the forest. And only then did he realize—perhaps from the fall—his ankle burned as if pressed to fire. The more he tried to move, the sharper the pain became.
Struggling to rise, his eyes fell on the hat lying beside him in the mud. He reached for it.
“Master!”
The voice of one of the household guards rang through the rain.
“Master Yoon-jae, where are you?”
“Ahjussi?”
“Master Yoon-jae!”
“Over here! I’m here!”
Pouring all his strength into shouting, he saw the guard approach at once, having spotted the toppled bicycle.
“Master, what happened? Why are you here like this?”
“I slipped on the pedals… fell off the bike.”
The man frowned. He was the one who’d first taught five-year-old Yoon-jae to ride. He knew better than anyone—the boy’s skill on a bicycle made such a simple fall unlikely.
From the start, Yoon-jae had always been quick. Quick to learn, quick to master. A prodigy—bright enough to earn the nickname “the chaebol family’s child genius.”
“Your grandfather has been worried sick. Let’s return quickly.”
Checking Yoon-jae’s knee and ankle, the guard crouched and offered his back.
“Come, climb on.”
“But your clothes are all wet…”
“You’ll catch a bad cold if we delay. Summer colds are far worse than winter ones. Please, hurry.”
“I’m not a little kid anymore. I’m taller now… and heavier.”
The guard only urged him more firmly.
“Then just for today. Only today.”
And so Yoon-jae climbed onto his back. Through the sheets of rain, the guard ran with all his strength. His warmth radiated through his drenched uniform, seeping into the boy.
This man had been at his side longer than Yoon-jae could remember. A presence he could never be without.
Inside the mansion, Chairman Jung paced with a pale face.
When the guard burst into the hall carrying Yoon-jae on his back, the old man nearly fainted.
“What on earth happened! You said you were only going to see the peach blossoms, child!”
“Grandfather… I slipped with the bike. I’m sorry.”
“And that’s why you went alone? Look at this mess you’ve made!”
His eyes narrowed to the boy’s bloodied knee.
“First we must get him changed before he catches cold,” the guard urged.
The housekeeper rushed forward, guiding Yoon-jae toward his room. The Chairman’s gaze fell to the floor.
There, lying on the rain-soaked tiles, was a hat. Not one he recognized.
“What… is this?”
The guard quickly picked it up and tucked it away. The Chairman’s brows furrowed deeper, unable to look away.
Meanwhile, in another small house—
“Su-yeon, child, what happened to your dress?”
“I tripped on the way home.”
“And your ribbon, where’s that gone?”
“Grandma, I’m hungry. Let’s have dinner.”
“Ah, my poor little lamb. I’ll bring food right away, just wait a moment.”
When her grandmother disappeared into the kitchen, Su-yeon stared at her ruined dress.
Her mother had given it to her for her birthday. Seeing it so dirty twisted her chest with frustration.
“A-ah! My hat!”
She had run so fast through the rain, she hadn’t even noticed she’d left it behind.
“Grandma, I think I left my sketchbook outside. It’s for summer homework—if I don’t bring it, the teacher will scold me.”
“How can you go out in this storm, child?”
“I’ll take an umbrella. I’ll be fine.”
“Su-yeon! Wait!”
But Su-yeon didn’t hear. Thoughts of her missing hat consumed her, and she dashed back into the rain.
