Chapter 4 (Part 5)

Despite it being the weekend, ‘Lysian’ employees came to work early in the morning. The only difference from weekdays was that everyone was dressed comfortably.

As soon as they arrived at the company, employees boarded vans. The vehicles, carrying the employees, headed straight to a certain location.

The destination was a flood recovery site that had been hit by heavy rains recently.

The employees rolled up their sleeves for volunteer work. Although participation was formally voluntary, not a single employee skipped the volunteer activity.

The site was in worse condition than expected. It was a mess. Employees, who had never seen such a scene, were quite taken aback.

Broken furniture, doors, and glass windows were piled up in a chaotic mess, and the belongings that had been submerged were scattered in disarray.

The employees worked together to move items out of the house, scoop out water, and repeatedly sweep the muddy floors inside.

With a worried expression, Hye-yoon looked up at the sky and muttered.

“Isn’t it going to rain again while we’re doing this?”

“That mouth of yours is a jinx. Shut it.”

The employees, who were chuckling, suddenly fell silent. Jinwon’s glare filled the space with awkward coughs.

However, the color of the sky was indeed ominous. Feeling uneasy, Jinwon began to search for In-ah with his eyes.

In-ah had been out of sight for a while.

Then, with a ‘thud,’ ‘thud’ sound,

‘Pitter-patter!’

What they feared happened. It started raining again.

The state of the rain was concerning. It was pouring down as if from a bucket, and the flood site was at risk of being submerged again.

The decision was made for the employees to evacuate. They gathered at the parking area where the vehicles were.

As too much rain poured down, the vehicles with full capacity started to leave first.

Jinwon pushed through the crowd, searching for In-ah. However, even after several vehicles departed, In-ah was nowhere to be found.

Jinwon kept dialing her phone, but there was no response from In-ah’s phone.

Jinwon’s face turned pale. Something was wrong. Something must have happened to In-ah.

“Team Leader Lee! Get in quickly! Let’s get those who are gathered out of here first.”

“No, please go ahead. One of my team members hasn’t come yet.”

Jinwon shouted, barely able to open his eyes due to the downpour, and then turned around to run straight to the site where they had been volunteering.

“Team Leader Lee!”

The call for Jinwon didn’t reach him. Like someone who had lost their mind, Jinwon ran madly and reached the site, rushing into the house without hesitation.

The house, already starting to flood, had water up to the thighs.

“In-ah! Seo In-ah!”

In this house and the next, there was nothing but rising rainwater, and no sign of In-ah.

“In-ah! Where are you! Answer me!”

Fearing that his voice wouldn’t be heard over the sound of the rain, Jinwon’s neck was strained to the point of bursting.

It was in the sixth house that Jinwon finally found In-ah.

“In-ah!”

Soaked to the bone, In-ah was there, standing in the pouring rain. She was trembling violently, her eyes tightly shut, enduring the pain.

The roof of the house where In-ah was had already collapsed. Standing in the corner below, In-ah was submerged in water that was rising above her waist, unable to avoid the rain.

Whether she couldn’t hear Jinwon’s voice or not, In-ah, despite shivering madly, didn’t move an inch.

Jinwon waded through the water with all his might to reach In-ah.

He embraced In-ah’s convulsing body.

“It’s okay. I’m here now, it’s okay.”

But even in Jinwon’s arms, In-ah showed no sign of stopping her tremors.

A foreboding expression crossed Jinwon’s face. They needed to get out of there quickly.

Supporting In-ah’s back with one hand, Jinwon lifted her into his arms. In-ah’s feet left the ground.

And Jinwon began to push through the water again.

Jinwon thought it was pure luck that he had brought his car to the site. After placing In-ah in his car, Jinwon gathered clothes from the trunk and covered In-ah’s body with them.

In-ah’s body was still trembling, but it seemed she had escaped the worst state where she might lose consciousness. Only then did Jinwon let out a sigh of relief. It was then that In-ah’s phone rang. Without opening her eyes, In-ah showed no reaction. Jinwon hesitated for a moment before answering In-ah’s phone on her behalf.

“Hello.”

The caller was In-kyung. After hearing the whole story, In-kyung rushed straight to In-ah’s studio apartment. Jinwon, as discussed with In-kyung, arrived at the apartment with In-ah in his arms.

“Oh my, what should we do! Just a moment, I’ll open the door for you.”

In-kyung hurriedly entered the password and led Jinwon into In-ah’s home. Jinwon gently laid In-ah on the bed. Only then, feeling relieved as she stroked In-ah’s face, did In-kyung greet Jinwon.

“Thank you. You’re In-ah’s Team Leader, right? Nice to meet you like this. I’m Seo In-kyung, In-ah’s sister.”

“I’m Lee Jinwon. Then, I’ll be on my way.”

Jinwon turned towards the entrance. Then he paused for a moment, slowly turned back, and asked in an infinitely cautious voice.

“When In-ah gets caught in the rain like this… is there a reason?”

Jinwon’s words and expression were more careful than ever. So In-kyung decided not to consider it an inappropriate question.

“It’s a very personal matter to tell you, Team Leader. I hope you understand.”

With a smile as a response, Jinwon couldn’t ask any further.

***

The next night.

Jinwon, who was preparing dinner, instinctively picked up his phone when it suddenly rang. But the next moment, his eyes widened more than ever. It was a call from In-ah.

“Hello.”

• Team Leader. I…

“How are you feeling? Are you okay?”

• Yes. I’m much better. But can I ask you something?

Jinwon continued the phone conversation while standing awkwardly.

“Uh, go ahead.”

Despite Jinwon’s permission, In-ah hesitated for some reason.

“What is it? Tell me.”

• Did you happen to see a mirror at the volunteer site yesterday? A small hand mirror.

Jinwon remembered the mirror In-ah was talking about. Even during college, it was an item she cherished dearly. He recalled how she never parted with it for even a moment.

“I didn’t see it.”

• Okay. Then I’ll see you at the office tomorrow.

Jinwon wanted to ask more about In-ah’s condition, but he had to end the short call. He had to grab his car keys and dash out immediately. Jinwon returned to the flood recovery site that night instead of having dinner. He turned on the flashlight on his phone and searched with his eyes wide open.

He entered the site, where the water had finally receded, and searched all over the house. Remembering In-ah’s hand mirror, he got excited whenever he saw anything round and similar, only to be disappointed repeatedly.

“Who is it?”

A bright flashlight shone on Jinwon’s face. Jinwon squinted, blocking the blinding light with his hand. A security guard in uniform was looking at him suspiciously.

“I’m an employee from ‘Lysian’ who volunteered here yesterday.”

“Oh, but why are you here at this hour?”

“I lost something.”

Only then did the security guard, relaxing his vigilance, open his mouth wide and yawn.

“It must be very important if you’re looking for it at this hour.”

***

In-ah, who had come to work, still looked unwell.

“Seo In-ah, what happened? Did you sneak off by yourself?”

“How could I know it would rain like that?”

Led by Hye-yoon, the employees teased In-ah for not being seen when they evacuated the volunteer site. But In-ah didn’t respond at all. Her mind was filled with other thoughts.

After work, In-ah ran out of the office to resolve the matter occupying her mind. She returned to the flood site where they had volunteered over the weekend. Thanks to the efforts of people after the weekend, it was somewhat organized.

As she was leaving the house empty-handed, In-ah spotted the security guard passing by.

“Mister! Did you happen to see a hand mirror here?”

“Oh dear~ what could I have seen here?”

Following the security guard’s gaze, In-ah looked around the messy house. Indeed, it was absurd from the start to look for a palm-sized hand mirror in such chaos.

“Miss, are you from the furniture company that came over the weekend?”

“Yes.”

“The employees there drop so many things.”

“Sorry?”

The security guard, yawning as if he hadn’t slept well, replied.

“A male employee from there came last night too.”

“A man?”

“He said he was looking for something he lost and practically turned the place upside down. Thanks to him, it’s cleaner now. He tidied up the place while he was at it.”

In-ah felt her mind becoming complicated. Last night, a male employee, a lost item. Anyone could see it was Jinwon. As In-ah trudged back home, she reached the front of her studio apartment.

“Seo In-ah!”

When In-ah turned around, she saw Jinwon running towards her from a distance. Jinwon waved his hand high in the air with a face full of happiness. In-ah was left dazed looking at Jinwon.

***

Seven years ago. No, it was about eight years ago.

It was a time when In-ah and Jinwon couldn’t be apart from each other for even a moment. One day during that time.

‘Seo In-ah!’

That day too, Jinwon ran towards In-ah with the brightest smile in the world, waving his hand. As he reached In-ah, Jinwon rested his hands on his knees, catching his breath.

‘Why again~ If it’s nothing important, you’re in trouble. You know that, right?’

In-ah threatened Jinwon with a playful glare, holding his hand as he panted.

‘The… the… university furniture…’

Startled, In-ah interrupted him.

‘Furniture design competition?’

Jinwon nodded vigorously, swallowing his breath. In-ah’s expression brightened instantly.

‘Did you get selected to represent? That’s great! Congratulations, oppa!’

‘No, ah…’

Jinwon waved his hand urgently. As he met In-ah’s wide eyes, Jinwon’s eyes were the first to smile.

‘Congratulations, In-ah.’

‘Me?’

In-ah looked at Jinwon with a puzzled expression.

‘Our In-ah is going to the university furniture design competition!’

With elation, Jinwon hugged In-ah tightly and started spinning around on the spot. In-ah stomped her feet in joy, cheering in Jinwon’s arms.

***

Back then, Jinwon treated In-ah’s matters as his own… 

No, Seo In-ah. Get a grip. Don’t act like an amnesiac amoeba that gave away its memory.

In-ah corrected her dazed expression and scolded herself. By then, Jinwon had run up to In-ah, panting heavily just like eight years ago. He opened his tightly clenched fist in front of In-ah. There, in Jinwon’s hand, was In-ah’s hand mirror.

In-ah took the mirror in surprise.

“The mirror is fine.”

Jinwon said happily, but In-ah’s complexion darkened rapidly as she looked at the mirror.

“Why?”

Jinwon sensed something was wrong. One side of the hand mirror’s lid that In-ah was looking at was missing.

“Where did you find this?”

In-ah asked Jinwon with a desperate expression.

“In my car. It seems you dropped it when we left the site that time.”

“Wasn’t the lid in the car?”

“Well, as soon as I found this…”

“Can I look for it myself?”

As soon as Jinwon opened the car door, In-ah began searching every corner of the car. Jinwon hesitated for a moment, then approached In-ah from behind and shone his phone’s flashlight to help.

Who knew the lid was the important part? Jinwon sighed softly as he looked at In-ah’s anxious back. Even after a long search, the hand mirror’s lid was nowhere in sight. Kneeling in the passenger seat, In-ah deflated like a balloon with all the air let out.

Unable to watch any longer, Jinwon got into the driver’s seat and spoke in a deliberately cheerful voice.

“I’ll look again. Take a break. And here…”

Jinwon handed a handkerchief to In-ah. At the same time, he pointed to his nose with his finger instead of speaking. Beads of sweat were forming on In-ah’s nose. In-ah lifted her arm and wiped the sweat off her nose with her sleeve.

Jinwon, with an awkward smile, quietly put the handkerchief back.

“I heard from my sister.”

In-ah’s calm voice felt somewhat different. As Jinwon looked at her quietly, In-ah continued.

“Thanks for that day. And thank you for the hand mirror today. It seems like I keep finding reasons to be grateful.”

‘Compared to what I did to you, this is nothing.’

Jinwon swallowed the words he couldn’t bring himself to say. Instead, he gave a bitter smile.

Then, In-ah’s unexpected words came.

“What?”

What do you mean? Did I smile too bitterly? Should I have smiled more brightly?

But then, the next moment.

“Oh?”

“Oh!”

Both In-ah and Jinwon’s gazes simultaneously fixed on the space between the driver’s seat and the passenger seat. And both of them reached into that space at the same time.

In an instant, their foreheads collided strongly. Their hands overlapped in the space between the two seats.

Startled, they both quickly pulled back, holding their foreheads.

The tingling sensation from their hands touching was more intense than the pain in their foreheads, so they should have been rubbing their hands instead of their foreheads.

Soon, In-ah reached back into the space and pulled out the hand mirror’s lid. It was the lost lid.

Tears welled up in In-ah’s eyes as she checked the inside of the lid.

Jinwon’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Are you crying?”

In-ah hurriedly wiped her tears and grumbled.

“Wow, your head must be really hard.”

Rubbing her forehead where she had collided with Jinwon, In-ah’s eyes remained fixed on the inside of the lid.

Jinwon glanced at In-ah from the corner of his eye and conjured up the happiest smile in the world.