Jihoon hasn't slept well in years.
Not since he survived the accident that killed the woman he loved.
Yingyue never leaves her house.
Not since her parents died in a car crash two years ago.
Both crippled by their own fears, the two of them should...
More than ever, Yingyue was determined to get out of her house and start living again. These four walls, which once enveloped her like a comfortable embrace, have tightened like a python hellbent on suffocating its prey. She could no longer enjoy the view of her garden or the softness of her bed. If she stayed in one place for too long, embers would light beneath her feet, prompting her to move lest she hurt herself.
Just like now. She lifted her phone to check the time. It was almost three in the morning yet sleep continued to evade her. Giving up, she kicked off her blanket, shoved her feet into her puffy slippers, then padded downstairs.
Damn Kang Jihoon!
No.
Damn herself.
Why did she let her hormones get the better of her logic? For a minute there, she really thought she'd found someone who understood, someone who'd help pull her out of this rut. But as the saying went, one's life could only be changed by one's labor.
"Only I can save myself," Yingyue said as she shrugged into her long coat and changed into her boots, keeping her gestures small since her wound still stung.
Besides, she now suspected Kang Jihoon still hadn't moved on from his fiancee. That day, before he stormed out of her place, she had heard bits and pieces of his conversation and although her English was not perfect, she thought she heard his ex's name. Was that her on the phone? To her annoyance, she actually felt her heart squeeze.
"Aiya!" Forget about him.
Jihoon obviously had his own problems. Even though she didn't know what his deal was exactly, she was sure it was impossible for two people at the bottom of a pit to help each other get out. They'd probably just sink farther down with the combined weight of their burdens. Phone in hand, she opened the front door and took one step out.
Should I really do this?
Maybe she should wait until later? But if she did this during the day, there will surely be more people milling outside. Now was the best time. It's just a little night stroll. Nothing to worry about. Forcing her other foot to move, she pulled the door shut then loosened her grip from the handle. When she finally faced forward, she found the courtyard before her bathed golden by lanterns softly swaying with the gentle night breeze. The pretty sight evoked a memory of her father.
