The Price Of Redemption

24.

The sky was beginning to lighten, a soft prelude to dawn as Minji and Haerin found themselves midway through their road trip. They had ventured far from the bustling city, now surrounded only by endless stretches of open fields and the bite of the early morning wind. The road was silent, desolate even, with not a house in sight and no other cars on the road. Both girls were fighting off exhaustion—eyes heavy, yawns frequent. They had been swapping turns driving through the night, trying to stave off sleep, but it was catching up with them fast.

Haerin was slouched in the passenger seat, half-asleep, while Minji was barely holding on, her eyelids fluttering as if they, too, were succumbing to sleep. Then, out of nowhere, the jeep sputtered and came to a sudden halt with a jarring noise that startled both girls wide awake. They exchanged confused, bleary glances, their hearts racing from the shock.

"We're not there yet, right?" Haerin mumbled, rubbing her eyes. Minji shook her head and exhaled deeply. They still had a few kilometers left to go before reaching their destination.

"I'll check," Minji said, her voice tired but determined. She jumped out of the jeep, the cold air biting at her skin, making her shiver slightly. Haerin, unwilling to stay behind, stretched her aching limbs and followed. She watched as Minji, their ever-reliable leader, inspected the engine, the battery—anything that might explain why their jeep had decided to give up on them in the middle of nowhere.

"I don't know what's wrong," Minji admitted finally, her voice laced with frustration. She wiped her dirty hands on her jeans and sighed, walking over to Haerin, who was leaning against the side of the jeep with her arms crossed.

"So... what now?" Minji asked, her tone a mixture of resignation and weariness as she stared at the silent vehicle.

Haerin, equally exhausted and fed up, groaned in frustration, kicking the jeep half-heartedly. "Damn you," she muttered under her breath, only to wince and hiss in pain as her foot throbbed from the impact.

Minji chuckled softly, though her eyes were still clouded with worry. "It's a long way to go, and we're too tired for this," she said, pulling off her jacket and tossing it into the backseat. They were stuck, and exhaustion made it feel even worse.

As Haerin looked around, trying to suppress her rising frustration, something caught her eye in the distance. There, about a kilometer away, was a dark car parked at the side of the road. It looked out of place in this quiet, deserted stretch.

"Minji, look," Haerin pointed. "There's another car. Maybe someone can help?"

Minji squinted in the direction. "Yeah, or it's just some guy taking a piss in the fields," she replied dryly, her humor grim. "Or maybe a couple passed out after a makeout session."

Haerin shot her a disgusted look, but then her curiosity took over, and without waiting, she started walking toward the mysterious car. Minji watched her go, sighing in resignation before trailing behind.

When Haerin reached the car, she peeked through the windows, but there was no sign of anyone inside. She knocked a few times, her voice echoing as she called out, "Hello? Is anyone in there? We need help!" But there was no answer.

Her patience ran out, and in a fit of irritation, she kicked the car door hard. But instead of satisfaction, she got a sharp sting of pain, immediately falling on her butt and grabbing her foot, her eyes squeezed shut in agony.

Just as she was cursing under her breath, the car door opened, and a figure emerged hurriedly from the vehicle, looking more concerned about the car than Haerin. The person's eyes darted to the door, checking for scratches before letting out a relieved sigh.