The Red String of Fate

3. "Everything is just fate yet to catch up"

It had been 5 hours since Ryeon last saw Jungil.

She tried her best to fall asleep, but she couldn't. She twisted and turned, drank some warm water, and even started counting sheep but, nothing was helping.

She couldn't stop thinking about him. About them. She wasn't sure how she was supposed to approach him in a couple of hours to check up on him.

"Ugh, 진짜.." [Ugh, gosh..]

Ryeon decided that maybe getting the task out of the way would be better. So she put on a sweater, steadied herself, and headed for Jungil.

No- Mr.Park.

As she was walking out of her sleeping corridors, she tried her best to stay quiet, to not wake anyone else up.

The people of jumadeung slept in a dormitory like place that was specially designed for the employees. If she was loud, she could wake up someone down the hall.

Walking down the hall to the empty prison-like room was nerve wrecking.

"In and out, deep Breaths Ryeon, deep breaths."

Eventually, she reached the door and swung it open. She didn't want to seem weak or timid around him, Especially now with everything that happend.

As she peeked her head through the opening of the door, she was met with the face of a sleeping man. Despite his sleeping, his pain was evident. He had deep worry lines and was groaning softly.

He was having a nightmare.

Ryeon slowly walked towards him and tried to wake him up.

"Mr. Park , wake up. Mr. Park, are you okay?"

He was still in so much pain and wasn't waking up.

He started whispering "I'm sorry, I'm
Sorry", over and over.

"Mr.Park, PLEASE WAKE UP." Ryeon was getting anxious and wasn't sure what to do. She put her hands on his shoulders to try and shake him awake but, ..nothing.

She took a deep breath and quickly spoke a word that she would regret ever saying again:

"낭군, 일아니세요." Husband, wake up please.

Jungil's eyes shot open and they were filled with confusion, guilt, worry, anger, and everything in between.

Ryeon was embarrassed. She knew he heard her say it, and now that's it's not only left her mouth but entered his ears, she felt uneasy.

Does she try to explain why she said what she said or does she act like nothing happened?

Before she could choose, Jungil interrupted her thoughts and with a bitter voice said, "I'm sorry you had to see that, you can leave."

Ryeon sat there with her eyes locked onto the floor, deep in thought. Conflicted as to what to do next, she stared at the ceiling for about 30 seconds.

I can't do this right now.

With a quick pace, she stood to her feet, looked down at Jungil as he looked up at her and turned her back to him, once again.

"....Are you okay" she asked with a wavering voice, ready to crack at any moment.

"I'm fine. Are You-"

"Okay I'm gonna go now. Sorry." Ryeon knew she needed to get out of there, especially with that question that was coming her way. She needed out, now.

As she walked out the room and into the hall, she could feel how heavy the word she called Jungil was dragging her back into the past.

She didn't want to go. She couldn't go.

Not yet.

What happens now?... I can't go back everyday to see him, I can't. I need to figure somethings out first.
I need to go outside.
No, I need to go to sleep.
No- I need... I need to stop letting my feelings get in the way of work.
Yeah, it's just- we have history. I mean we've been doing just fine so far so this changes nothing.

When In reality, Jungil's knowledge of their past changed and changed everything. Everything.

Ryeon spent the rest of the night convincing herself that Jungil holds no meaning to her, not one bit.

"Everything is just fate yet to catch up and in due time, I should feel normal again."

As if normal was ever an option for her life as well her afterlife.

But like they say the truths hurts.

And Ryeon was soon to figure out exactly why that saying is said.