episode_0001

One day in winter, as the year was drawing to a close. Yunyoung arrived at the meeting place and looked around as if searching for someone.

“Looks like she’s not here yet.”

Yunyoung mumbled softly, took out his phone, and checked the time. He had arrived a little earlier than the promised time. Since there were only a few minutes left anyway, he decided to wait with an easy mind.

By the way, it seemed colder than yesterday. He had heard the weather forecast said it would be similar to yesterday, so was it wrong?

Just then, a cafe across the street caught Yunyoung’s eye.

‘Should I go inside?’

He hesitated for a moment but shook his head, deciding against it. With only 5 minutes left until their meeting time, going into a store just because it was cold seemed pointless.

If there had been more than 10 minutes, maybe, but now it would be soon.

‘Besides, Mira is rarely late for appointments.’

The person he was meeting was his girlfriend, Mira. She rarely came early to appointments, but it was very rare for her to be late.

Even if she was late, it was only by a negligible amount, perhaps two or three minutes.

She would surely arrive soon.

In fact, these were all merely superficial reasons. If he just contacted his girlfriend and told her he was waiting in the cafe across the street, the problem would be solved.

There were no big issues, and the cafe was easy to find, so there was no risk of confusion.

Yunyoung’s decision not to enter the cafe was simply for his own satisfaction. He thought waiting for someone on a chilly winter evening seemed quite romantic.

Occasionally, people want to be romantic, and that was how he felt right now.

Yunyoung, feeling his hands cold, put them in his jacket pockets and surveyed his surroundings.

There hadn’t been any snow recently, so he couldn’t see the white scenery that could be called winter’s mascot. Still, seeing everyone bundled up made it clear that it was the middle of winter.

“Not much of this year left…”

It was already mid-December; in about two weeks, they would welcome the New Year.

At the beginning of this year, Yunyoung had resolved to make the most of it, making various decisions, but among those goals, what he had achieved was….

“About half, I guess.”

The remaining half that he hadn’t yet achieved probably wouldn’t be accomplished in time.

But that didn’t mean Yunyoung was disappointed or blaming himself. He had experienced many things and changed over the past year. He could proudly say that he had spent it diligently, and he was satisfied with it in his own way.

“Succeeding in half of my goals means it wasn’t a failure.”

He had already resolved the biggest problem for graduating university students: job hunting worries. He had been lucky enough to get hired by a mid-sized company.

It wasn’t a famous large corporation, but it was a company with good prospects and high growth potential for the future.

However, there was an even greater reason why he felt this year had been satisfying.

‘I’ve had another year with Mira.’

The memories and experiences he had accumulated with his beloved girlfriend. Those were precious and valuable days that no amount of money could replace.

Yunyoung had Mira, his cute and lovely girlfriend, whom he adored. Two years had already passed since they had been together.

She, who had once been a stranger, gradually became a bigger part of Yunyoung’s daily life.

Beyond being a friend or family, she was now a beloved partner whom he couldn’t imagine living without, and for the first time in his life, she was someone he prioritized even above his own life.

He didn’t want to lose her.

He wanted her by his side for life.

So, he decided on one big thing.

He planned to propose to Mira at an appropriate time next year. It would be a big problem if Mira didn’t accept the proposal, but he wasn’t particularly worried.

Yunyoung felt that Mira loved him just as much as he loved her. Between people in love, you could tell just by their eyes.

When the other person’s gaze met his, he could see how hot and strong the emotions flowing from them were…

He had subtly told only his close friends about his plan to get married next year, but they didn’t all react favorably.

If they had merely been acquaintances, they would have simply offered appropriate congratulations, but since they were close friends, they were speaking their true thoughts.

-Are you really getting married? -Isn’t it too soon? -I think you should consider it more….

Getting married in one’s mid-20s is rare these days and considered quite early. The overall marriage age has been pushed back, and there’s a growing trend of unmarried people in their 30s.

Therefore, Yunyoung understood the concerns of those around him, who wondered if he wasn’t deciding on the weighty matter of marriage too hastily.

Marriage is one of the few major events in life that determines one’s life direction.

He knew that he should take more time and decide calmly.

‘But if it’s with Mira…’

Imagining living in the same house and starting a family with the woman he loved made his heart flutter. Recalling that moment made all his worries disappear, and happiness filled his chest with a pounding sensation.

It might be too soon, but he felt he would never regret marrying Mira.

As Yunyoung waited for his girlfriend, lost in those thoughts, his surroundings suddenly became bustling. He overheard casual remarks from passing pedestrians.

“Wow, it’s snow. It’s snowing.” “It really is. It’s pretty.”

Yunyoung, snapping out of his thoughts, looked up. Just as people said, large snowflakes were falling from the sky.

Seeing it, Yunyoung felt happy. He wasn’t particularly fond of snow. In fact, he was closer to disliking it.

He disliked getting his hair wet from the snow, and he disliked the frozen roads turning into ice the next day. If he were to slip and fall, it would not only hurt but also be embarrassing.

Still, the reason he could welcome the snow was….

‘Mira liked snow.’

Knowing that his beloved girlfriend looked forward to snow falling in winter, Yunyoung had also come to like snow.

A smile formed on his lips as he imagined his girlfriend smiling brightly with joy, watching the white snowflakes pour down.

Yunyoung, who had been looking up at the snowy sky, lowered his gaze. Then he looked around to see if Mira had arrived.

Just as he shifted his gaze across the street, he coincidentally made eye contact with a woman.

If it had been a stranger, he would have awkwardly avoided her gaze. But the person was the one Yunyoung was waiting for.

“Yunyoung~!”

She called his name and waved her hand. That young lady with a simple appearance was Mira, Yunyoung’s girlfriend. Mira, recognizing Yunyoung, shouted loudly.

“Have you waited long? I’m here~!”

Since they were on opposite sides of the road, she had spoken loudly enough for Yunyoung across the way to hear. Naturally, this drew the attention of those around them.

Several people glanced, following Mira’s gaze to look at Yunyoung. Feeling his face flush, Yunyoung lowered his head slightly to avoid their eyes.

“With so many people around, isn’t she embarrassed…?”

Yunyoung, who mumbled that, didn’t have a displeased expression at all. He was just embarrassed by the surrounding gazes.

The two of them were about 15 meters apart, with the road between them. Soon, they would be able to sweetly hold hands and walk together.

‘Looks a bit dangerous.’

Yunyoung looked at the crosswalk on the road and thought. Unfortunately, the traffic light was broken, and no lights were on.

People crossing were taking a risk, but they were crossing cautiously when no vehicles were present.

Yunyoung was about to tell Mira to look left and right and cross carefully, but he hesitated.

‘If I speak loudly, I’ll draw attention again like before, and that’s a bit embarrassing.’

When he was young, he didn’t care much about what others thought and could act without concern, but now that he was older, it was different. He wanted to avoid standing out if possible.

Perhaps that’s why he thought Mira, who had just acted like that, was more innocent.

Just then, Mira, from across the street, started running toward Yunyoung. Yunyoung was startled. He hadn’t expected her to suddenly cross without properly checking left and right.

“It’s dangerous. What are you doing!”

Yunyoung, feeling anxious, shouted loudly, forgetting about the surrounding gazes. Mira, however, was looking at him with a bright smile.

She had already crossed halfway into the road.

Yunyoung sighed, intending to give her a stern warning once she arrived. But as she was crossing, Mira suddenly stopped and turned her head to the side.

From there, an intense light was rushing towards Mira. Mira squinted from the glare and was immediately thrown back.

A loud screeching sound —!

A loud screech of brakes echoed as if tearing apart the road. The peaceful atmosphere of the evening street instantly reversed. Screams and shouts could be heard from everywhere.

-1-

Mira, who had been thrown back, frowned and opened her eyes.

“Ugh…”

Because she was suddenly pushed, she lost her balance and tumbled to the ground. Her knee stung, indicating a minor injury, but thankfully, she didn’t seem seriously hurt otherwise.

Somewhere, a murmuring sound was heard. Mira naturally turned her gaze in that direction. Many people had gathered.

Mira, who had risen from the ground, walked towards it. Although her steps were a bit uncomfortable and she limped, it wasn’t too difficult since it was close by.

She pushed through the crowd of people and made her way inside.

Finally, she could see with her own eyes what had happened across the street. In front of the stopped large cargo truck, a person lay fallen as if flung.

Blood was still flowing from their head, and seeing their clothes and the surrounding ground stained with blood, their condition appeared very critical.

The sound of people calling for an ambulance and the voices of people pacing anxiously.

Listening to those sounds, Mira’s eyes, as she looked at the victim sprawled on the ground, began to waver.

At first, it was a light tremor, but soon her pupils trembled violently, like someone in severe mental distress.

As if fear had gripped her, Mira hugged her upper body with both arms and began to tremble all over.

Unable to stand due to the loss of strength in her lower body, she collapsed right there.

A voice that sounded cracked emerged from her lips.

“To push me away, who was almost hit….”

How the incident had occurred was pieced together in her mind. But her heart refused to accept it.

“No. How could this happen…?”

It seemed as if tears wouldn’t even come out from the immense shock. A nearby pedestrian approached the kneeling Mira and asked worriedly.

“Miss, are you alright?”

Mira, who had bowed her head deeply, slowly raised her face. The eyes seen there had lost their focus and were filled with a murky emptiness.

The pedestrian who saw her eyes involuntarily flinched. It felt as if they were looking into the eyes of a doll, not a living human. But they asked about Mira’s condition one more time.

“You seemed to have fallen hard earlier… don’t force yourself to stand up.”

The pedestrian, having said that, looked at the bloodied man and spoke.

“Are you acquainted with that person? People are saying he got hit while pushing you out of the way.”

“……”

Mira did not answer.

“Excuse me?”

“An appointment. I had an appointment….”

“An appointment?”

The pedestrian looked at Mira, who was suddenly talking to herself, with a puzzled expression.

“Yes, I have an appointment.”

Mira raised the corners of her mouth as if pleased, but her eyes held no smile at all. The pedestrian, who had never seen such a bizarre smile, was chilled and didn’t speak to her any further.

Mira, staggering as she stood, crossed the road.

The road was being controlled due to the accident, but vehicles were slowly moving along the remaining side of the road.

Amidst this, Mira suddenly dashed out. Drivers were able to brake quickly and stop, but it could have easily led to a major disaster.

“Watch where you’re going, damn it!”

A driver opened their window and shouted, but Mira didn’t even look or react. She simply dragged her body across the road like a corpse.

Having reached the other side, she stood in front of the park entrance, their meeting place. And she vacantly watched the situation unfolding on the road, waiting for someone.

A short while later, an ambulance and police car arrived one after another. Paramedics loaded the patient onto a stretcher. As they did so, one of the patient’s arms hung limply down.

Mira stared intently at the clothes the accident victim was wearing. It was the same jacket she had bought for Yunyoung last year.

A police officer, who had heard explanations from witnesses, approached Mira.

“Excuse me. Are you perhaps acquainted with the accident victim?”

The police officer continued without waiting for an answer.

“According to witness testimonies, he was hit trying to save you. They also said it seemed you spoke to each other.”

“I don’t know about that….”

“Excuse me, but could you accompany us to the station?”

“I’m sorry. I have an appointment right now.”

“An appointment?”

“Yes.”

“With whom is your appointment? I apologize, but can it not be postponed?”

“I have an appointment.”

“What?”

“Because I have an appointment.”

It was Mira, repeating the same words like a broken record.