For You

Chapter 45

Youra didn't return home until after 2 a.m.

She was practically dragging her feet up the stairs to her door. The kind cab driver drove her home after both of them and a few witnesses went to the police station to give their statement. Youra was able to recognize Minji from her back as she jumped and from her bag that she left by the rail. The sight of the Kaws keychains dangling from Minji's favourite pink bag haunted her.

The search and rescue team wasn't able to find Minji in the dark. The current was too strong for them to dive in.

There was a fiasco at the police station when Minji's parents went barraging inside.

They were in denial at first when they were shown the bag. They cracked when the surveillance camera caught Minji doing the deed. Minji's mom broke down as she saw it. Then she turned and saw Youra. She went berserk.

"You! You did this!" she shouted. She was about to go to Youra when the police officers stopped her. "Let me go! You didn't know what she did! She made Minji jump!" Madam Min was getting more and more furious.

"Calm down, madam. What you said, can be hold on against you," warned a senior police officer at the station.

"What do you know? If she didn't corrupt Minji's mind, she would still be here with us!" she screamed.

An older couple came into the station.

The woman went to Madam Min and slapped her good.

Everyone went so quiet they could hear a pin drop. "If there was anyone to blame, it was you. You and your good for nothing husband," the woman spat. "You both made her love art when you brought her to Italy. When she showed too much interest, you snuffed her out, forced her to get into your mold. You moved her into a new school, cut her from her friends, her art and you even cut her out from me, her own grandmother! She is not a doll yet you made her into one. How long do you think she could last? She is only 14!" tears were streaming down her face.

"I lost my granddaughter and you still didn't realize what you have done. What is so good about having a third generation doctor in the family? People like you made me scared every time I go to the hospital. I second guessed every doctor I saw if they're doing it because they wanted to help people or because their parents wanted them too," she put her hand to her heart and her husband went to help her.

"Honey, hold yourself together," he held onto her.

"I lost Minji because her stupid parents abused her mentally. You made her a prisoner in her own home," the woman continued sobbing. "You have the guts to call yourself parents," she sat heavily on the floor crying. "I curse myself for giving birth to a mother like you."

Youra was crying too.

She tried looking for Minji after she moved. She asked Minji's former neighbours and she even went to Minji's father's hospital, but she was refused an audience by him. The only thing she got was a vague location of their new house but it was still hopeless. They moved to a gated and guarded residence area and she couldn't get in.

Youra entered her passkey code and went inside. She slumped heavily on the floor, sobbing her heart out.

She lost Minji.

A pair of hands went to Youra's shoulder and her head went up.

Jin.

She forgot all about him. She couldn't say anything and continued crying. Jin didn't say anything, he picked her up, carried her to the sofa and just held on to her until she was spent. She told him what happened at the bridge and the police station.

"I felt like a complete failure," she ended her story. "I couldn't help Minji," she buried her face into Jin's chest.

"You tried your best," he comforted her.

"Not best enough," she replied.

"Don't say that, baby. Did you stop looking for her?" Jin asked pointedly.

She shook her head.

"Did you barge into her father's office asking about Minji?"

She nodded.

"Did you tell her friends to stop looking for Minji?"

She shook her head.

"Hear me. You didn't give up on her," he hugged her tight. "You're a fighter. You're my fighter."

"I'm sorry about tonight. I forgot you were here" she admitted.

"Don't be. Of all the nights, I am glad that I am here for you."

"I am glad you are too," and just like that, Youra went to sleep. She was probably too tired from what happened and Jin didn't blame her. She went through a lot that night.

Even in her sleep he heard her mumbling. He heard she calling for Minji.

She called for Ae-Young.

Who's Ae-Young?