Live or Die

CHAPTER 15

In the opulent but cold interior of their lavish home, Ga Young sits in her room, the shadows of dusk casting long silhouettes against the walls. Her mind is a tumultuous sea, swirling with memories of Choi Min Ah and Kang Yeji. The weight of her actions, the lives altered and lost by her hand, press down on her with an unbearable heaviness.

Ga Young: (whispering to herself, her voice a mix of regret and fear) "Min Ah... Yeji... What have I done?"

Her room, filled with the trappings of privilege, feels like a gilded cage, trapping her with her guilt. As she sits, lost in her dark reverie, her mother, Seo In Soo, enters, her presence commanding yet laced with an underlying tension.

Seo In Soo: (noticing her daughter's distress, her voice soft but edged) "Ga Young, you've been in here all day. You need to move past this. It's done."

Ga Young looks up, her eyes a tumult of emotion, reflecting the turmoil within.

Ga Young: "How can I, Mother? Min Ah... and now Yeji... Their faces haunt me."

Seo In Soo, ever the strategist, sits beside her daughter, her demeanor calm, calculated. She reaches out, placing a cold, comforting hand on Ga Young's shoulder.

Seo In Soo: "Listen to me, Ga Young. What happened with Min Ah was unfortunate, but necessary. And as for Yeji, no one will ever know the truth. I've taken care of it."

Ga Young tenses at her mother's words, the reality of what they've done - what she's done - sinking in. The mention of Choi Min Ah's name sends a shiver down her spine, a reminder of the darkness that lurks beneath their perfect facade.

Ga Young: (her voice barely audible, choked with unshed tears) "But I can't forget, Mother. Their eyes... they knew. Min Ah knew it was me."

Seo In Soo's grip tightens, her tone hardening, a stark contrast to the faux warmth she'd offered moments ago.

Seo In Soo: "Ga Young, you are my daughter. You have the strength of our family coursing through your veins. You must be strong. Regret is a luxury we cannot afford. We must protect our legacy, at all costs."

As Seo In Soo leaves, Ga Young is left alone once more, her reflection in the mirror a portrait of a young woman ensnared by her own deeds, her mother's ambition, and the relentless pursuit of power. The night deepens around her, the silence a suffocating blanket under which she must bury her remorse and steel herself for the role she must play.

The past holds a different picture of Ga Young and Park Do Jin, one colored with the hues of unrequited feelings and friendship. In the golden light of their high school years, their relationship took on the comfortable ease of close companionship, yet for Ga Young, it harbored deeper, unspoken desires.

Under the shade of a sprawling oak tree, Ga Young and Do Jin shared a bench, textbooks and notes spread out before them. The air was filled with the laughter and chatter of other students, but for Ga Young, the world narrowed down to the boy beside her.

Ga Young: (hesitantly, her voice betraying a hint of hope) "Do Jin, have you ever thought about us... you know, as more than just friends?"

Do Jin, pen in hand, paused, his gaze lifting to meet hers. His smile was gentle, a bittersweet acknowledgment of the question he had sensed was lingering in her heart.

Do Jin: (kindly, trying to let her down gently) "Ga Young, you mean everything to me, you know that. But I've always seen you as a sister. I hope that's okay. I wouldn't want to lose what we have."