𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗲 - HIERARCHY

P R O L O G U E

"We shouldn't be doing this..." He breathed heavily, taking a step back in reluctance. "Ms. Han Ji-su..." he started, his voice laced with resistance. "You know I can't."

"Why not?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "You know you want to," she whispered, her voice husky and persuasive. She reached out, her fingers tracing the curve of his neck, pulling him in with a gentle yet insistent touch. For a moment, he was lost in the thrill of desire, his senses overwhelmed by the sweet temptation of her proximity.

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Her breathing was heavy as she led the way, clutching onto his hand tightly. She was helping him. In running away from those monsters. Ara's knee was bleeding, the skin torn from multiple tumbles on the unforgiving road. The crimson droplets trickled down her leg like tears, staining her legs. Each step she took echoed with a faint squelch, as if the road itself was protesting her flight.

Every once in a while she looked back to see if they were close, "In-han, you have to run faster." she shrieked. The wind slapped her face, whipping her hair into a frenzy as she ran, her eyes streaming tears from the stinging blast.

"I'm trying" he stumbled as he grunted, "They never give me a break do they?"

Ara looked around frantically, her eyes landing on a white door. "Hurry, in here!" She yelled, rushing towards the door pulling In-han alongside her. With a harsh push she opened the door but her steps halted when she looked up, seeing two people against a wall, making out. Ara's eyes widened as she stumbled upon the intimate scene before her. Two bodies were pressed against the wall, their faces lost in a passionate embrace. Her own breath caught in her throat as she froze, her eyes fixed on the entwined couple.

But when the man's gaze suddenly met hers, his eyes locking onto hers with a guilty spark, her world came crashing down. Her stomach plummeted like a stone, her heart shattering into a thousand pieces. The betrayal she felt was a palpable ache, like a knife twisting in her chest. Her grip on In-han's hand went limp, her fingers slipping away like sand in an hourglass.

"Ara.." Woo-Jin whispered, his eyes wide with regret.  He took a step back from Ms Han Ji-su, his hands trembling, afraid of what was yet to come. He couldn't say anything.  "Shit" he whispered, feeling as if he'd lost it.

In-han on the other hand, looked around in a frantic, his eyes landing on Ms Han Ji-su as he spoke, "All of you! You're crazy. Insane!" He yelled. Letting go of Ara's limp hand as he ran downstairs.

"In-han wait!" Ms Han Ji-su yelled in panic, as she ran after him before being halted by Woo-jin, "wait! Don't." He warned her, "No, no, no! Woo-jin. No one can know!" She pushed him aside and ran after In-han unaware of what the night had planned for them.

Woo-jin saw her leave, his eyes landing onto Ara. He noticed how her hair was disheveled, and her knee was scraped. "Shit are you okay." He spoke in a hurry as he ran down to her.

Ara didn't speak. She didn't wanted to. Not when what she just saw. Not when he was acting as if nothing happened.  She did notice those slight wet eyes, as if he was trying hard to control his feelings.

"Hey, I'm- " He reached forward to caress her cheeks but stopped midway when she took a step back, as a tear finally left her eye. "You.." she started, her voice hoarse. "How could you.." she whispered, her voice barely audible. 

Woo-jin's eyes softened, his heart thumping against his ribcage. "I didn't mean to.." he spoke after what felt like hours.

"You didn't mean to?" She scoffed as another tear fell. The words tore from her throat like a sob. "Was it all just a lie, then? Every laugh, every whisper, every moment we shared - did it mean nothing to you? Did I mean nothing to you as well?" Her voice cracked like shattered glass, the pain and betrayal bleeding into every syllable.

"No Ara, no." He pleaded. "You mean the world to me. Please I'm so sorry."

"A sorry won't fix my broken heart Woo-jin." Her words came as a stab to his heart. "I never could have thought that the only person who fixed my heart would also be the one to break it." She laughed bitterly through the stinging emotions she felt.

"Shit.. I.. Please Ara, You know I can't.." he finally sobbed.

Ara stepped away, "you know all too well, once someone breaks my trust they never get it back."Her gaze fell upon him, heavy with a mix of sorrow and anger, her eyes pleading for answers that she knew would never come. She averted her eyes, unable to bear the sight of him. Every glance at him was a fresh stab of pain, a reminder of the trust she had so naively bestowed upon him.

She turned around, her back facing him, "I guess this is goodbye." She whispered, "have fun with her." With that she left.

"No no Ara! Please stop!" He yelled, and ran out the door, but she's wasn't there anymore.

As Woo-jin's gaze faltered, a single raindrop traced a slow path down his cheek, its gentle touch a poignant reminder of the tears he struggled to hold back. His foot lashed out in a sudden, anguished motion, striking the ground with a force that seemed to shake his very foundations. The cry that tore from his throat was a raw, primal expression of the torment that ravaged his soul, a sound that seemed to rip through the air like a jagged tear.

As the storm intensified, Woo-jin's resistance crumbled, his body surrendering to the deluge that threatened to consume him whole. He sank to the ground, his arms wrapping around his knees in a futile attempt to hold himself together, as the rainwater pooled around him like a chilling embrace. In a voice barely audible over the torrent, he whispered a sorrowful plea, his words tumbling out in a rush of anguish: "Forgive me, Ara, for turning something so beautiful, so full of life, into a something that might haunt you after. I never meant to make you hate the rain, to taint its beauty with the pain of our loss."

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