"Noona, talk to me, say something! Are you okay? Are you dizzy? No—no, are you breathing properly?"
At that moment, the memory flashed vividly in his mind—her pale face covered in blood as she was dragged into an ambulance just days ago after being struck while doing some pictorial.
Seeing her like this again detonated his already fragile nerves in the young lad's delicate psyche.
"Noona!" His voice cracked and sounded shaky. "Do you want to go to the hospital? Are you hurt somewhere? Damn it, I don't know what to do. Please say something—"
"Sir, is there something wrong?"
Seeing the boy becoming anxious and starting yelling, catching the attention of other buyers, a girl working in the shop also hurriedly walked closer and tried to assist them. However, Seo Yoojin was in no state of mind to even glance at her or even listen to what she said.
Thus, when the young girl was about to reach for Hyerin's arm to help her, Seo Yoojin's thoughts were immediately pulled back like a fish struck by lightning. He almost jumped and swatted her hand away before glaring at the culprit.
"Miss, I don't know you but please stay away," he spoke firmly, causing the shop lady to get startled and soon look aggrieved.
"W-What?"
She was dumbfounded. Well, everyone was shocked. Utterly at that.
"Hey, hey. What did he just say now?"
"Wow! That young guy is really something."
In the end, it was the shop assistant who couldn't raise her head in sheer embarrassment.
But what did she do wrong? She was just trying to help! How could he be so rude. He even hit her as if he was swatting some fly!
Despite her grievances, the girl forced herself to smile and clenched her teeth to apologize. She's just a part-time employee and this guy looks like a rich boy who's also a regular.
In this shop, the customer is always right.
"Sir, I apologize. Please let me off this once." She had to bow in order to keep her job.
Facing her accusing gaze, and with others looking at him with judgemental eyes, Seo Yoojin didn't care and only gnashed his teeth with stern politeness as he replied.
"My Noona doesn't like getting touched by others, especially a stranger. Next time, don't just jump in without asking. An unsolicited kindness is not a kindness but an added burden. We're going right now."
"Noona, I'll take you to the car, okay?! Don't close your eyes!"
---
Without wasting a single second, the boy scooped her up as if she weighed no more than a cotton doll, turning on his heel and preparing to bolt.
Before he could drag her out of the store, Seo Hyejin weakly tugged at his sleeve and murmured hoarsely, trying to sound a little energetic."I'm… fine. Little brother, I'm not dead yet—but I might be if you keep gripping my shoulder like that."
"Ah…?" Yoojin froze, looking quite conflicted and confused. He lowered his head and stared at her, gray eyes wide and anxious, like a puppy afraid its owner might disappear if he ever blink.
"A-Are you really okay, Noona…?" he asked repeatedly with a nervous tone.
This made Hyejin feel instantly guilty once more. A sharp ache pricked her chest.
She had made him worry.
"Never mind," she sighed. "Just… let me sit for a while. My head hurts." She forced a weak smile. "I appreciate the princess carry, but could you put me down first? You're making me even dizzier."
Yoojin's ears instantly turned red. Though irritation quickly surfaced to mask his concern—as it always did—the trembling of his hands when he carefully settled her onto a nearby seat betrayed him completely.
"Tsk! You're such a handful." He clicked his tongue. "I told you not to follow me out. You can barely walk straight. What am I supposed to do with you?"
Hyejin looked up at him and smiled faintly.
So familiar.
Her baby brother—still awkward, still shy about showing how much he cared.
"Seo Yoojin…" She bit her lip, desperately holding back her tears.
But—
'My poor little brother. Yoojin-ah… I missed you so much.'
Hic.
She lowered her head and instinctively clutched the hem of his sleeve, as if letting go this time would mean losing him forever… again.
Yoojin stiffened.
Embarrassed, he almost brushed her hand away—several shoppers were already glancing their way— until he heard her voice break.
"Noona—"
"Yoojin…" Her words dissolved into sobs. "Do you know? Sister really missed you. A lot."
"I had such a bad dream while I was… in a coma…" She remembered being in a coma for two days after the accident.
Her shoulders trembled.
Even if saying indirectly, she still couldn't help but feel so helpless and guilty for causing her family so much hurt and burdening them with her own troubles.
"You… Dad… Mom…" Tears streamed down uncontrollably. She wiped them with the back of her hand like a child, but it was useless. "You all… left me."
'You all died because of me.'
"So, Ha-joon Oppa and Yoo-jun Oppa hated me. I hated myself for causing you to…" she choked her words. She couldn't say the word. Afraid that by saying it herself, it might happen again and she'd lose them for the second time.
Seo Hyejin took a deep breath, "And because I'm pretty…" Her voice shook violently. "Uncle's family… With no one by my side, they sold me off to some bad man to gain connections."
As she said that last line, Hyejin's facade completely crumpled. She was sold to a troll but was rescued by a beast. She thought it was a savior and devoted herself to it, but in the end, that beast only watched her die.
—
In my last life, you died because of me.You trusted me. Followed me.And I still failed to save you.
That guilt followed me even after death.
When the world collapsed, I was swallowed by a tide of infected—screaming, powerless, useless until the very end. It was my fault for dragging you, mom, and dad outside the mansion. By thinking I could rescue everyone when I can't even save my own hide.
I was foolish and my naivety cost me my loved ones. My precious family… My relationship with my brothers.
I died and left with no remains to mourn over.
Perhaps even heaven thought that ending was too cruel.
That must be why I woke up again.
December 27, 3025.
Just days before the apocalypse.
A miracle. No—perhaps a second chance.
And yet, the cruelest part?
No one believed me.
After I was injured during a photoshoot accident at a zombie-themed park for a
Delusions. Hallucinations. Paranoia.
If only it were truly just that.
If only the end of the world existed only in my head.
How great would it be if everything was just a dream.
—
Hyejin slowly lifted her head and looked at Seo Yoojin.
Alive. Breathing. Still here.
"Seo Yoojin…"
Her voice came out softer than she intended.
"Do you also think… that I've gone crazy?"
Without realizing it, her eyes welled up again with so much words left unsaid.