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Han-Byeol jolted awake the next morning, her heart racing as the remnants of a haunting nightmare lingered in her mind. In the middle of the hallway besides some of her classmates who had also just woken up, she shivered, her body drenched in a cold sweat. The vivid images of her recurring nightmare flooded her thoughts—the sensation of plunging into the icy depths of a lake, more specifically the lake her father drowned in, the suffocating grip of fear tightening around her throat.
Gasping for air, Han-Byeol struggled to shake off the lingering terror. The memory of her father's tragic drowning loomed over her, casting a shadow of anguish that she couldn't escape, even in her dreams. Trembling, she wrapped her arms around herself, seeking solace in the darkness as she grappled with the relentless torment of her subconscious.
"Kim Jun-Hee.." She muttered, her throat becoming tight as she realized the boy wasn't beside her.
With a gasp, Han-Byeol dashed into the natatorium, her heart racing with anticipation. In her mind's eye, she pictured Jun-Hee's face lighting up with a grin as he exclaimed, "Surprise!"
In reality, however, life often served up bitter truths instead of sweet surprises.
Han-Byeol's heart lurched into her throat at the sight of Jun-Hee's lifeless form floating in the pool. A flood of memories engulfed her, and she struggled to hold back tears as she felt the weight of loss pressing down on her chest. Her mind flashed back to the haunting image of her father, his lifeless body drifting along the surface of the lake where he had met his end. It was a wound that had never truly healed, a pain that lingered beneath the surface, ready to resurface at the slightest provocation.
"Jun-Hee.." In Jun-Hee's motionless figure, Han-Byeol saw echoes of her father's fate, a cruel reminder of the fragility of life and the inevitability of death. She felt a surge of grief and anger welling up inside her, a turbulent mix of emotions threatening to overwhelm her fragile composure. As she stood there, paralyzed by the haunting memories and the grim reality before her, Han-Byeol grappled with the painful realization that history was repeating itself, and she was powerless to stop it.
"The joke's over! I saved you, so wake up!" Her words were muffled by her tears, "Kim Jun-Hee, you jerk! Won't you answer me just this once?!" Inhaling deeply, she cautiously entered the water, swimming towards the boy. Clutching him tightly, she detected no signs of breath or movement in his chest. Reality crashed over her like a wave—he was gone.
She had been fooled.
Returning to the edge of the pool, tears tracing paths down her cheeks, she sank against the wall, cradling Jun-Hee's motionless form in her arms. Nestling her head into the curve of his neck, she wept silently, the absence of his warmth piercing through her. "I should have at least told him... That I had feelings for him. That I really... Liked him."
