THIRTEEN YEARS AGO

„Aaa,” shouted SolHi, touching her head when a basketball, thrown from nowhere, hit her hard. Then, outraged, she turned and looked toward the basketball field from where she understood that the ball had been thrown. There, she saw a few hooligans of the school who, as always, were wasting their time, pretending to have a basketball game.

Seconds after staring at that place and when she saw that no young men asked her if she was alright, SolHi got even more furious. She was right in feeling all this because she would have liked to hear at least an „I’m sorry” from them. They instead were laughing and making fun, happy that they had been able to hit her, the one considered the tigress of the school. And it wasn’t the first time SolHi and the young men dealt with each other because they did everything to meet or bother her for an unknown reason, especially in the last few months. That’s why different flying objects often hit her by „pure chance.”

Even so, SolHi never got revenge on them. She told herself that they were idiots, who wanted to make fun of someone and found her at that time. She was sure that if she hadn’t paid attention to them, they would have left her alone eventually. Instead of this, their „jokes” became more frequent than ever, something that managed to drive her crazy, in the end. That’s why, when she felt that the pain was gone, SolHi deeply breathed in to calm down. After that, taking care of her hair, jacket, and skirt to sit perfectly, she took a few steps toward the basketball field.

She stopped eventually the moment she saw Dja Iun. The teenager, who was seventeen at that time, smiled seeing her looking at him. Then, happy, he headed toward her, yelling to be heard by everybody in that place, „Hei, Grunny, I know you don’t like us but… what about returning our ball, huh?” Then, seeing SolHi looking for the ball, Dja Iun stopped too.

Finding that ball hadn’t been a big deal for SolHi, who found it not that far from the place where she’d been hit. It was stopped by the tree trunk, which the ball hit after hitting SolHi’s head. Seeing it, SolHi grabbed it with both hands, turned, and looked at Dja Iun. She saw him staying next to the mesh fence of the basketball field, with his arms folded on his chest, and supporting his back against one of the fence posts. Staying like this, Dja Iun was looking at her and smiling. Yet, it wasn’t clear if he did that because he loved her or because of hatred. This pissed SolHi off, who suddenly quickened her pace toward the basketball field.

She was boiling inside while heading toward that place. Even so, she decided not to let any of the young men know what she felt. At least, she wanted her state of mind not to be visible so soon. And, while heading toward that place, she didn’t lose sight of Dja Iun.

Seeing her watching him so insistently, Dja Iun felt happy because he thought that he finally managed to make SolHi see him. Yet, seeing that SolHi stopped before entering the basketball field, the youngster became attentive. Why? Her behavior seemed suspicious to him because he knew very well that SolHi was as crazy as he was, especially when she was infuriated. Even so, he told himself it was time to check how far SolHi could go when she was crazy.

Deciding this, Dja Iun headed toward the place where SolHi was staying. He didn’t lose sight of her while heading toward there, looking at her provocatively and somehow mockingly at the same time, something he saw that SolHi hated. Yet, none of them said anything. They just continued what they were doing: SolHi playing with the ball, with which she was juggling, and with no expression on her face while Dja Iun kept smiling.

Her face expression, of an emotionless doll made Dja Iun frown eventually. He definitely hated it when she was trying to defy him. Even so, he told her ironically, „So, will we play that game today or not? With this ball, I mean! Will we get it back or not?”

SolHi smiled. „Of course, you’ll get it back. Yet, I’m not sure you’ll like the manner you’ll get it back,” she hissed the words through her teeth, authoritarian.

Not losing his temper, Dja Iun told her, cunningly smiling, „The matter is to have it back! For the rest… we’ll see it later!”

„Do you say so?!” Said SolHi, also smiling. Yet, her smile was rather the smile of Jerry right before playing a prank on Tom. Thus, once she was determined to be Jerry in that story, she suddenly turned her back on the youngster. And, to his great surprise, SolHi seemed to move away from them.

Suddenly, poor Dja Iun winced the moment SolHi pretended to throw the ball like a projectile toward him. Yet, seeing that SolHi changed her mind halfway and kept playing with the ball, he decided that maybe it was a good idea to play with her too. That’s why he told her in a playful and cunning voice, „Are you playing any sport? I think so, judging by your reaction.”

„You don’t even know how right you are,” SolHi replied, smiling. Then she looked at the young men who were with Dja Iun there and who started to play the fools from behind the fence. Some of them even started to whistle or make some dirty jokes, telling Dja Iun not to be a coward and to kiss the girl once he stopped her. Jokes that made even SolHi smile. Then, staring at the ball, she asked Dja Iun, „Your friends?”

„You can say so,” replied Dja Iun drily. „Acquaintances rather than friends.” Then, on the sly, he looked at SolHi, who he found really beautiful that day.

Honestly, all his silliness, the flying objects, and the balls that hit SolHi lately had a single reason: Dja Iun „found her beautiful.” Yet, even if he did everything for SolHi to notice him, everything was in vain. He even felt ignored after this because the flowers he sent to her got to the bin, the chocolates - were eaten by her colleagues, and the love messages were torn before reading them. Because of this, he started to send his friends to tell her that he wanted to see her in one place or another. Messages SolHi ignored because she never showed up where he asked her to come.

The fact that SolHi never paid attention to him drove Dja Iun crazy. Thus, one day, after he had sent her a word to come to the school’s roof to talk to him because he had something important to tell her and SolHi didn’t show up, Dja Iun furiously hissed through his teeth, „What? Does she think she’s someone important? Does she think she can deceive and ignore me only because she seemed „beautiful” to me? A pauper girl, who doesn’t even deserve to be watched by me? If yes, then… she looked for it. She looked for the devil, for sure.” After this, different flying objects started to land on SolHi’s head. Yet, he never used force when he threw those objects, just as he had never looked to hurt her.

After this, they started to make fun of her each time they saw her. Sometimes, Dja Iun even got to trip her. Yet, not even this made SolHi „see” him. SolHi considered all this a simple childish revenge, which hurt him more than SolHi, who knew very well what kind of person Iun Dja Iun was and didn’t have time or desire to waste her time with him.

Maybe she would have continued to ignore him if Dja Iun hadn’t managed to drive her crazy that day. That’s why SolHi told herself that if she didn't do something to teach him some manners, she wouldn’t get rid of him ever. More than that, she wanted to take revenge for all the „offenses” and „attention” she received from him or because of him.

Even if SolHi thought about this, Dja Iun didn’t think about what could have been the reason SolHi decided to talk to him that day. More than that, he didn’t think about what really made her pay attention to him. And, as this wasn’t something to bother him, he decided to take advantage of all this and asked her, „And… what sports did you say you were playing?”

„A very simple one,” SolHi suddenly replied. „Cannibalism!” Then, waiting no more, she threw the ball-projectile that hit Dja Iun’s face. The powerful impact knocked Dja Iun down, hitting the fence post with his head. Nevertheless, he turned back to his senses soon after this because of the others’laughter. Opening his eyes, he saw SolHi’s happy face, who was squatting in front of him while he was sitting on the ground after falling on his butt when the ball hit his face. And, smiling, SolHi told him in an ironical voice, „You’ll need this!” giving a kerchief to him and hinting to him his bloody nose.

„Damn it!” Dja Iun hissed through his teeth, pulling the kerchief from SolHi’s hand, whose corners he pushed into his nostrils to stop the bleeding. „Was it absolutely necessary?”

„But… what have I done?” SolHi asked in an innocent voice. „Nothing out of the ordinary. I just paid others back by merit.” Then, she stood up, intending to go.

She stopped after a few steps, hearing Dja Iun saying, „Be my girlfriend, Ian SolHi! Be mine, and I promise that nobody ever will make you suffer!”

Such words made SolHi slowly bite her lower lip. Then she bit it harder until she felt the salty taste of blood. When she felt the taste of blood, she squeezed her fists harder, something that brought the other young men closer to the fence when they saw her doing this. They were curious about what was coming next because they were sure that Dja Iun’s offer wasn’t right and more when all of them knew who Ian SolHi was.

Actually, none of them was wrong in thinking this because what SolHi hated the most was to be mocked. At least, she thought that Dja Iun was doing this at that moment. More than this, she hated to be treated like that when there were witnesses around, and there were witnesses there: around ten youngsters, who were staring at them, not losing sight of any of them.

SolHi did nothing though, something that amazed even her. The reason? Each time she received such offers like those that Dja Iun yelled to be heard by everyone when he asked her to be his girlfriend, SolHi beat the bold one just to teach him some manners. At that moment, she had been content with only staring at Dja Iun and hissing through her teeth, „You are looking for your death, it seems to me.”

„No. All I’m looking for is a girlfriend,” Dja Iun calmly answered. After that, he stood up, supporting himself on the fence post. Soon after this, his butt touched the ground again and pretty hard when he received another punch from SolHi, which he felt hard on the top of his head. And, when that punch touched him right under his beard, poor Dja Iun not only bit his tongue to the blood, but also remained with an ugly scar, which gave him the nickname Scar after this.

Even so, even if that punch was a damn painful one, Dja Iun quickly came to his senses. Then, seeing SolHi’s right fist right in front of his eyes, he moved his head to the side. He did that more because he heard her hissing through her teeth again, „Iun Dja Iun, if I hear you saying such stupid things once again, I swear I’ll leave you headless next time. What? To be your girlfriend? In your dreams, ogre! Or maybe in another life because I would rather remain unmarried than also take care of you for the rest of my life. I have enough with my own problems to save yours too.” After that, she furiously looked at the others, whom she told, „And you… If I pass by here again and I hear you making fun of me or throwing flying objects toward me, you’ll suffer more than him! Better… run when you see me as if you see the devil because, in case you aren’t aware of this, I can be worse than the devil if someone steps onto my tail! Did you hear me?”

„Yes,” the youngsters murmured. They kept silent more because SolHi managed to make them respect her for being able to protect herself than because of fear. Eventually, not everybody was able to show Dja Iun his place, or paint such a beautiful memory like that scar on his face… for his entire life, by the way.

In the end, blowing the hair, which was blocking her sight, and arranging her clothes, SolHi turned her back to that place, happy that she had been able to make them respect her. She was proud that she did that. Because of this, she just kept moving away from them, not paying at all attention to Dja Iun’s request to stay and listen to him… she simply didn’t care about this.

***

The life lesson received from SolHi that day on the basketball field made Dja Iun change the tactic with her. He not only started to talk to her differently, but even his manner of acting toward her was different. Because of this, the dirty jokes stopped, the flying objects were something of the past, and he even stopped „chasing” her. Not that he had been a stalker or something like that. Even so, he did everything to appear in front of her and make her see him.

Yet, after that memorable event, Dja Iun turned into a really admirable person. He even started to work on the same fishing boat as SolHi. The youngster did that not because he needed money to survive but because she was there. Thus, he often got to help her clean the deck, carry the heavy boxes with fish, or untangle the fishing nets. And, working side by side, day by day, they got to know each other better and even became friends.

Nevertheless, nothing changed between them as Dja Iun wanted because their relationship remained a friendship only. This didn’t mean that Dja Iun didn’t hint to her that he had feelings for her. SolHi simply ignored them and when she saw that he was insisting, she told him, „Iun Dja Iun, if you look for more than friendship between us, then… you are wasting your time. So, you’ll do us a favor if you get lost and look for love elsewhere.”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Dja Iun didn’t vanish after this though. He remained by her side and was a responsible youngster. All this was due to SolHi, around whom he was always seen. And, as she was always busy doing something, he also got to be busy. Thus, slowly, he moved away from bad companies, stopped fighting so often, and even started to study. This didn’t mean that he completely stopped sharing kicking and punches, but all this was only if someone was bothering or trying to hurt SolHi. And, once she was considered the black sheep of the village, she had a lot of enemies and a lot of envious people insulted her. Thus, Dja Iun was also busy, at least from time to time, teaching others how to treat her.

Their relationship cooled so suddenly when, at the age of 20, Dja Iun turned up for military service. Then, after completing his active duty service as a soldier, Dja Iun started to work in Seoul because his grandparents were old already and he needed to earn money for them too. And, after he left the village, Dja Iun returned there only twice: at their funeral. This didn’t happen because he was in a bad relationship with them, but because of his difficult life in the city where he had to work a lot to survive.

After his grandparents’death, when he felt that he was alone in the world again, Dja Iun’s glory as a bully returned. He became irritated if not explosive because he really hated to be considered a no one by others. Yet, no matter what he didn’t do, he always met such people: colleagues, bosses who considered that they could manipulate him, and even „friends” whom Dja Iun had trusted.

Actually, because of such friends, Dja Iun got to work for a dangerous human trafficker. Yet, he never complained because he started to earn a lot of money. All that he had to do was to watch his boss’s back or to go to certain „offices,” from where to take the money and bring it to his boss.

One of the days when he was dealing with taking the money from one of the offices to the main one, Dja Iun was about to lose his life after a fight with one of the rival gangs. Yet, although he had been badly injured in that fight, he survived. And, understanding that it was time to choose wisely what he wanted to do in life, Dja Iun vanished, thinking that he would be left alone by his gang after this.

Yet, the quote „don’t mess with the mafia” wasn’t just simple random words. At least, this didn’t happen to Dja Iun. A few days after he vanished, the police discovered the gang and many of his former fellows were arrested. The same happened to Dja Iun, and this happened because of a good „friend,” who told his name to the police to receive fewer years behind bars. Thus, along with the same „friend,” Dja Iun spent two years in jail.

Out of jail, Dja Iun decided to be a good boy from now on and not look for revenge, although this had been his first thought when he was out. Thus, to make sure he wouldn’t fail again, he used the little money he still had in his bank account and opened a small sports club, starting to teach others taekwondo. And, day by day, he started to meet new people and form his own gang.

He didn’t form that gang, thinking of earning dirty money or doing business on the black market but because he thought that if he hadn’t been all day long alone, he wouldn’t have time to think about stupid things like the one that life was tough. Thus, he managed to be a good person and have a good life too. He even earned enough money because he trained not only children, but also professional athletes, who couldn’t afford to pay more in other sports clubs, but they had enough to pay him.

Eventually, after finding out about what happened to SolHi, his life drastically changed again. Because of this, he got to investigate that case, determined not to ever give up on finding out the truth. He was more than determined to make justice to the woman he loved because, even if they got to live away from each other and even if he was sure SolHi wouldn’t ever accept him as her man, Dja Iun kept loving her and he was sure that it was for his entire life.

Thus, trying to make her happy and find the real criminal of Han YuSan, Dja Iun got to be involved in certain minor crimes. It’s how he met SolHi again, about two years before his death. This happened after SolHi’s team came to one of the bars, chasing a famous crook, who stole a lot of money from elders, a bar where Dja Iun was also that night.

Nevertheless, right after he „smelt that it was again time for jail,” Dja Iun hit the pike, jumping through the open window. He didn’t leave the place alone but with SolHi following him. She, although she didn’t see who jumped through the window, was sure that it was someone involved in the case they were investigating and decided to chase and catch him that night. Thus, as she was considered the perfect „dog’s nose” in her team, she didn’t lose him, although Dja Iun did everything to disappear that night.

Because of her, Dja Iun had one of his worst nights, and he understood that after half an hour of running on the streets with SolHi right behind him. At one point, he even felt that he was breathless, despite the daily harsh training he was doing to keep fit. Training that he considered useless at that moment because he didn’t get rid of SolHi no matter what he did. And, because of the same tiredness and because he couldn’t focus anymore, he fell into his own trap when looking around and not seeing SolHi, he thought that he got rid of her, and stopped to catch his breath.

A bad decision, this one of stopping because, so suddenly, SolHi knocked him down and cuffed him. It’s when Dja Iun decided that it was time to tell her who he was because he hated to see the police station as a prisoner again, something he was sure he would see soon after this. That’s why he told SolHi in a shaking voice, „SolHi, it’s me! Iun Dja Iun! Don’t you recognize me?”

Recognizing his voice, and more: being aware of who he was and what he could do, SolHi hissed through her teeth, „What the hell are you doing here, Iun Dja Iun?”

„Me? Nothing out of the ordinary. I was just… looking for someone,” the young man stuttered.

„In that bar full of crooks?” SolHi asked, frustrated. „Don’t make me laugh, Dja Iun. I know who you are, okay?! So, tell me: are you involved in bad things again?” After that, grabbing him by the coat, she pulled him hard toward her.

SolHi didn’t hear what he answered because someone on a bike suddenly approached them. The light blinded her at that moment, forcing her to release the young man’s coat. Then, when she’d been able to look at the young man again, she saw him lying on the asphalt, covered by blood, as Dja Iun had been right before dying in that motorcycle accident. And, seeing him looking like that, SolHi fell to the ground, yelling terrified.

***

She dreamt all this… Dja Iun’s bloody face while he lay on that asphalt because her mind involuntarily mixed the two events that seemed so important to her. Because of this, she suddenly awoke, looking terrified around. She even screamed when she awoke. And, because she turned and tossed on the couch where she was sleeping, she fell to the floor, feeling a sharp pain in the shoulder, which she hurt in the accident, and the right wrist.

The pain didn’t wake her completely. It only made her feel even dizzier than before. Because of this, she looked around with a lost glance, at DooSan’s living room and at the couch on which she preferred to sleep that night, although DooSan told her to sleep on the big one in his bedroom when she had refused to sleep in the same bed with him.

Thus, feeling that everything was rotating around her, SolHi didn’t stand up but sat on the floor, leaning her back against the couch, and closed her eyes. That memory though, which she saw in her dream and which she still saw in front of her, made her want to vomit. She felt sick at that moment. Not because of the dream but because she felt guilty again. Yes, she felt guilty about everything that happened to her in life and that Dja Iun died because of her eventually.

Because of the same guilt, SolHi murmured eventually, barely heard, „Damn it, Dja Iun! Why did you get involved with Min SinJu? Even if you were investigating what happened seven years ago, you should have stood away from all this, and not deep into it. I prohibited you from doing that. I told you to stay away from everything that happened to me. Yet, you… damn! Damn it, Dja Iun! Damn it all because… I have to feel guilty for you too now!”

Eventually, understanding that she wasn’t able to change something in that story and that she had to calm down, she said that it was better if she had drunk some water. For this, she had to go to the kitchen. And, to stand up, SolHi supported herself with her right hand, which she stuck to the floor to push herself up. Feeling the sharp pain in her arm, SolHi gnashed her teeth. Yet, she didn’t give up but managed to stand up, using her left hand, which she supported on the sofa. Then, once to her feet, she stood by the couch for a few moments, eyes closed.

Actually, she stood next to the couch for minutes in a row. She did that because she felt that everything was moving around her. She even felt a strange buzzing in her ears and something was slowly knocking on the top of her head. Then, when the pressure from her head passed and she could control herself again, she opened her eyes. Thus, she realized that her glance was blurred and heard the hissing of her breathing, as it happened each time she had an asthma crisis.

„No,” she murmured. „It’s just an illusion.” She whispered these words, trying to deceive herself and avoid a crisis. She was afraid of asthma already. Yes, she was afraid of having a crisis there, in DooSan’s apartment when she didn’t have her pills with her. That’s why she decided that the best solution for her was to drink cold water to come back to her senses.

Opening the fridge and taking a bottle of water from one of the shelves, she had been inattentive and dropped a bottle of ketchup to the floor. The ketchup bottle, in contact with the floor, broke and its red liquid spread all over, at her feet. This made SolHi shudder from top to toe, mistaking the ketchup for blood. She even felt her jaw shaking and then she gnashed her teeth, just as her nails injured the skin of her palms because of so much squeezing.

Eventually, allowing herself to „fall” to the floor, SolHi murmured, frozen because of fear, „He’s dead! I killed him! It’s all my fault!” And, while murmuring all this, she started to pull back and back… toward nowhere…

***

The noise of the ketchup bottle that fell on the floor and then of the water bottle dropped by SolHi managed to wake DooSan eventually. At first, not understanding what happened, he just sat on the bed. And, with his eyes half-open while scratching his neck, feeling the skin itching him, DooSan murmured, „SolHi, are you there? Something happened?”

Nobody answered though, something that amazed him a lot because he was sure that he heard that noise because of her and not because of a ghost that was living in the same apartment as him. Because of this, he finally got out of bed. The silence bothered him even if he didn’t know why. And, looking for his crutches, which he left next to his bed, he looked at the clock. „3.30 a.m. What the hell is this woman doing that she doesn’t sleep at this hour?” Yet, as there wasn’t anybody to answer that question, he decided to go to the living room and see what was going on there.

Once in the living room, he’d been even more amazed than before because it was dark all over. He also didn’t see SolHi on the couch, which was barely illuminated by the small lamps with sensors from the kitchen. Lamps that were turning on and off at that moment, although nobody was seen in the kitchen. This made DooSan frown at first. Then he felt a little bit scared because it looked like the ghosts really lived in the same apartment as him.

Suddenly, he became attentive, hearing a strange sound from behind the kitchen cabinet. It looked like someone was trying to muffle his cry. And, realizing that it had to be SolHi who was crying there, DooSan finally approached her, to check what was going on.

Seeing her sitting on the floor and staring at the ketchup stain that was seen in front of her, on the floor, and repeatedly murmuring „He’s dead,” DooSan got so scared. Not only because of this, he got scared but also because of the big red stain she had on the left sleeve, a stain at which SolHi also looked from time to time while the tears were bathing her cheeks. She was also shuddering like hell as though possessed by demons.

Eventually, when he’d been able to control himself, DooSan told himself that if SolHi acted like that at that moment, he had to be calm and think normally. That’s why he deeply breathed in, to calm down. After that, he approached her, kneeling by her eventually. And, touching her shoulders, he forced her to look at him and asked, „What’s going on, SolHi? Why are you so?”

This question made SolHi dumbly stare at him. Then, she murmured, shaking, „Blood!” An answer that amazed the man a lot because he couldn’t understand what she was referring to. Only when SolHi said again, „There’s blood, all over!” did he finally understand what happened: SolHi mistook the ketchup for blood.

Because of this, he squeezed her arms and shook her, trying to make her react. Yet, seeing that SolHi just kept mumbling the same thing, he yelled at her eventually, „Ian SolHi, look at me! I said to look at me, Detective Ian!” SolHi looked at him after this. Instead of DooSan, she saw Dja Iun’s bloody face.

The bloody face made SolHi murmur again, „It’s because of me! I killed him! I’m guilty because he died! It’s my fault! My fault!” Then, distraught, the moment DooSan held her to his chest, she started to cry and fight with him, trying to release herself.

Her resistance and stubbornness made DooSan take the ketchup bottle in his hand eventually. Then, putting it right in front of SolHi, with the product name in sight, he hissed through his teeth, „It’s only ketchup, SolHi! What blood? Come on, react! Even for that, you have to shudder or what?”

Even if she clearly saw the ketchup bottle, SolHi vehemently shook her head, saying, „No, it isn’t! It can’t be!”

„Of course, it is! Look, it’s written here: ketchup!” Then, putting the bottle in her hand, he forced her to look at it again. After that, he took the bottle of water that was not that far from them and also gave it to SolHi. „This is the water! You tried to take it from the fridge and you dropped them both. That’s all! So, stop acting like that and stand up! Now, SolHi, now!” Then, without waiting for her to react, he forced her to stand up.

SolHi obeyed him, although she wasn’t convinced of the truth. Even so, she said nothing. She just followed DooSan, who didn’t release her, although it was difficult for him to walk only in one crutch. Then, back in the bedroom, DooSan forced SolHi to lie in his bed and covered her with the blanket, up to her chin, sitting by her.

Feeling the warm bed under her and not the cold floor as she felt it before, SolHi closed her eyes, crouched, and told herself, in her head only, that she didn’t see or hear anything. She told herself that nothing happened that night. Yes, nothing happened to her in all those years and she was fine. And, while murmuring this, with the blanket covering half of her face, she felt DooSan’s palm slowly tapping her left arm, trying to calm her down.

Something he managed to do eventually, even if it was hard for him to do that. Then, when SolHi finally fell asleep, still squeezing his hand, afraid to let him go, DooSan murmured, „What really happened to you, SolHi? What exactly happened seven years ago that you are shaking like this even now? More than this, what happened between you and YuSan? Have you been… lovers as my mother says? Did your child was his? No. This can’t be. This can’t be because even if I don’t completely trust you, I’ve trusted YuSan. He was a good man. He was a man like no other. He wanted children. Yes, if he had been about to have a child with you, he would have told me about this. I would have been the first one who would have known this because… we didn’t have secrets. Yet… he’s dead and you… are living this life. Why? Why, SolHi? At least… answer this question: what happened that night? What exactly happened then? What…”

Nobody answered DooSan’s questions that night. YuSan was dead, and SolHi… a ghost. There were only memories there… hunting her… tormenting him, memories that made DooSan feel cursed because he loved the same woman YuSan seemed to have loved… a woman that maybe killed Han YuSan that night.