episode_0048

The alarm set for an important day goes off.

Usually, I wake up early on my own to go exercise, but today, the alarm set later than my usual wake-up time woke me up, indicating that my condition isn’t as good as usual.

I feel a bit more tired than usual this morning.

Is it because I have to go out for two days in a row?

At this rate, I’m not sure if I can spend the remaining long weekend peacefully.

Since I had set the alarm much earlier than the appointment time, I slowly got out of bed.

I notice my work desk on the other side of the bed.

When I draw for work, I mostly use a computer, but when I draw as a hobby, I prefer drawing on paper.

The reason I started drawing in the first place was because I liked the feeling of the pen touching the paper.

On top of the pile of papers on the desk, the drawing I had finished last night was placed.

It was a gift for Lee So-yoon.

The only difference from when I drew Lee Se-ah was that I drew it as a caricature.

It seemed more fitting for Lee So-yoon than drawing her exactly the same as Lee Se-ah.

I carefully put the precious drawing, nestled in a small frame, into my bag.

Today, Sung Yurin kindly offered to give me a ride again.

Thanks to her, I can leave my bag in the car and not worry about it getting shaken or bumped and breaking.

The frame was placed on top of the box containing the clothes already in the bag.

I stretched my stiff body after waking up and checked the time on my phone.

I should start getting ready slowly so I can move leisurely.

After checking the group chat and finding nothing urgent, I started preparing to go out.

“See you later!”

“Yeah, have fun and come back safely.”

Lee So-yoon left the house with her parents’ send-off.

She nervously touched the back of her head several times.

Amusement park.

Theme park…

Funfair!

It was both a long-awaited visit to the amusement park and a trip with new friends, so Lee So-yoon’s excitement was at its peak.

To the point where she couldn’t sleep properly at night.

She had a small panic attack when she saw her mother urgently waking her up in the early hours, wondering if she was late.

Of course, her mother woke her up early, not late.

The reason for the urgent wake-up call was to startle Lee So-yoon…

In the end, her mother had to take out some pocket money to calm down the puffy-faced Lee So-yoon.

After receiving a small birthday celebration from her family during breakfast, she finally took her first step towards the meeting place with an excited heart.

“Hehe. It’s going to be fun.”

Lee So-yoon’s face was full of smiles as she looked at her phone and headed to the meeting place.

Jin-i, Se-ah, Jiu, Jia, Yurin, Yeonseo.

They all came out on a holiday to celebrate her birthday.

…However,

If there was one thing Lee So-yoon overlooked in her excitement,

It was that when crossing the road, she should keep her eyes off her phone and look ahead and around.

Squeal-!

“….Huh?”

At the sound of screeching brakes, Lee So-yoon looked up.

Clearly.

Clearly, the pedestrian light was green.

Why is that car…

Why is it going so fast…?

I took out a brightly colored shirt from the closet and shook it.

I remembered what Lee Se-ah said to me yesterday about only wearing black clothes every day, so I took out a bright-colored shirt that I hadn’t worn in a long time.

Fortunately, it didn’t smell, so I could wear it like new after spraying it with air freshener several times.

I put my hand in my pocket and walked down the familiar street.

A small flock of young sparrows passed by in front of me.

I want to catch one and raise it.

I like small and cute things.

…But please don’t misunderstand anything weird.

I just mean that.

Many people like cute characters, even guys.

I held my breath and captured a sparrow in the viewfinder of my phone camera.

Click.

The sound of flapping wings as the sparrows flew away.

In order to survive in the wild, it’s important to react sensitively like that.

In living, one’s safety is the most important thing.

As I was moving towards the meeting place, I saw a three-way intersection.

If you go straight, you’ll head towards the city center, and the direction where Yoon Jiwoo and Lee Se-ah’s house is.

Turning right leads to a fork where Lee So-yoon’s house is.

While crossing the crosswalk, a familiar figure appeared at the corner.

Hair tied up in a bun, a petite figure.

Casual clothes that looked comfortable to move in.

Hmm. Looking at those clothes, I think the gift I prepared will suit her well.

Nodding to myself, I quietly approached Lee So-yoon from behind to surprise her.

As the traffic light changed and I was almost right behind Lee So-yoon.

Whooosh-!

An incident occurred without warning.

Startled by the sound, I reflexively looked to my right, where a car was speeding towards us without any sign of slowing down.

This is insane.

A reckless driver in broad daylight? Drunk driving? Sudden acceleration accident?

Now is not the time to be thinking about such things.

In that brief moment that felt long, I saw a rush of emotions in Lee So-yoon’s eyes from her side profile.

In that split second, I grabbed Lee So-yoon and rolled backwards to avoid the collision.

“…Ahh!?”

Screech-

Thud-!

It was a miraculous moment.

Lee So-yoon and I fell to the ground without getting hurt.

Although my clothes were a mess, Lee So-yoon, who fell on top of me, seemed unharmed.

On the other hand, the car that seemed unstoppable crashed into the wall with the driver suddenly turning the steering wheel towards it. The aftermath seemed to bring the car to a stop.

“Ah, uh…. Are you…?”

“Are you okay?”

Trembling, Lee So-yoon hugged me.

I wondered if she was hurt anywhere. Did she sprain her ankle because of me grabbing and falling with her?

Turning my head to face her, I saw tears welling up in Lee So-yoon’s eyes, which were shaking.

“J-Jina… Uwaaah!”

Crying, Lee So-yoon clung to me.

I wonder how scared this little one must have been. I was also extremely shocked, so I understand why she’s crying like this.

I stood up while hugging Lee So-yoon.

“So-yoon.”

“Sob… Sniff.”

“So-yoon, look at me.”

“Uh… okay….”

I looked into Lee So-yoon’s eyes and calmed her down.

“Let’s first check if the driver is okay. Can you call 911?”

“Uh… okay. Sniff. I got it….”

After patting Lee So-yoon’s head, I cautiously approached the car that had stopped after colliding with the wall.

“Excuse me! Are you okay?”

Although I felt a bit scared as smoke was coming out of the car, I gently knocked on the car door.

The tinted windows made it hard to see inside the vehicle.

I knocked on the car door for a while. After a moment, the door opened.

“Ugh… my head… Ah! Are you okay?”

The driver who came out of the car held onto his head and asked if we were okay.

I answered with a sense of doubt about why such a handsome young man in his early twenties… would ask that.

“Yes. Well, we’re more or less okay. How about you?”

“I’m a bit dizzy, but other than that… Ah! I’m really sorry. The car suddenly accelerated and no matter how hard I tried, it wouldn’t stop.”

“Ah…”

It was a sudden acceleration accident.

If that’s the case, then it must have been unavoidable for that person.

But it was lucky. If the car hadn’t turned a bit more, the driver’s side could have collided with the wall.

If that had happened, I wouldn’t have been able to walk out unscathed like this.

I waited away from the car with the driver.

Soon enough, the emergency services arrived.

The morning incident was resolved just like that.

What a bolt from the blue in broad daylight.

My head is still spinning.

I’ve never experienced something like this before, so my heart was still pounding.

Is this kind of event normal in the world of romantic comedies…? Of course not.

If I hadn’t been there, Isuyoon could have been in danger of getting hurt.

I don’t know where this went wrong. Or maybe, was this event in the original work?

If this was supposed to happen… How could Yoon Jiwu, who should have saved Isuyoon, be here, and why am I here instead of Yoon Jiwu?

I have a lot of questions, but… they’re not questions that can be answered.

But fortunately, no one was injured.

Or maybe Isuyoon’s heart is a little hurt.

I comforted the crying Isuyoon.

I hugged her tightly as she continued to sob.

Her small body fit snugly into my arms, and I could feel her warmth.

I gently stroked her back as she sobbed and tried to calm her down.

“Um, excuse me. Are you a student?”

“Yes.”

As I was talking to the paramedics, the driver of the accelerating car approached me.

“Um… just in case, would you like to go to the hospital? Of course, I’ll cover all the medical expenses. Oh! And I also want to compensate you separately for this incident….”

The man sent an apologetic look towards Isuyoon.

I’m fine, but she must have been really scared.

Hmm. What should I do in this situation?

I’ve never experienced anything like this in my whole life, so I don’t know how to handle it.

I can’t call the police either.

So, I decided to call the support team.

“Oh. Just a moment.”

I called Sung Yurin.