Healing Sunshine

Chapter 16.1 - Life's Tender Dependence

When their Hong Kong trip came to an end, Lalisa specially asked Jungkook for a small-denomination Hong Kong bill of money to keep as a memento.

On it, in black pen, she wrote a date: 2002.10.2 -10.6.

Even though she and Jungkook were still maintaining that distance between them that they had previously agreed to, she had already silently decided that this was their first long-distance trip taken together after their relationship changed.

After Lalisa was back, there suddenly seemed to be no more things troubling Somi's heart, and no matter how Lalisa followed up with her and asked, she would only vaguely brush over the matter. There was somewhat of a bad feeling in Lalisa about this. Unfortunately, Somi would not budge in the least and tell her anything, so she had no choice but to temporarily set it aside.

Lalisa's impression of 2002 had once been one of a year plagued with all sorts of misfortunes and calamities. But after the Spring Festival holiday period of 2003, she felt that, when compared with the disasters that were suddenly sent down by Heaven, the calamities imposed by man seemed so insignificant. In the latter half of 2002, Jungkook went to Russia. As a result of the Moscow theatre hostage crisis that took place in October, Moscow's Chechen problem once more escalated.

When he returned, the Lunar New Year celebrations had just passed. An outbreak of a major infectious disease had suddenly erupted in China after the Lunar New Year.

Almost instantaneously, the term "SARS" began to spread.

Jungkook initially had not thought much of it. However, after the airplane landed, the picture of every single person walking about wearing a face mask elicited in him a sense that this time, it truly was very serious. When he arrived at the television station, he saw that tasks were being divided amongst everyone.

Someone asked, "Who's heading over to Beihang University to check out the situation."

Without a word, Jungkook put on his cap that he had just removed. "I'll go."

Eunbi happened to walk in right then, and hearing him say this, she grew anxious. Grabbing hold of him, she said, "There's someone going already. The director's looking for you. Go find him first."

Jungkook still was not very clear on the whole situation, so hearing this old schoolmate say this, he turned abruptly and walked out in the direction of the news director's office. It was not until he had stepped inside, taken a seat, and began to converse about things that he truly was able to get a feel for the severity of the situation.

Beihang University was in the severe disaster area. Many of the hospitals were in the severe disaster area. Several universities were shut down and closed off. Every military compound was sealed off, and even foodstuffs and produce trucks were prohibited from entering.

Many companies had shut down operations and given employees this time off.

All routes into Beijing had been sealed off.

All countries had issued travel bans to China, and even all official business visits had been cancelled.

Even Jungkook, such a composed person, was somewhat stunned.

A disease spread by airborne transmission and respiratory droplets. This route of transmission, alone, was enough to cause anyone's face to turn pale at the very mention of it.

"One of our reporters went over to Peking Union Hospital to do some interviews and news gathering, but now she's been put under quarantine. She emailed over the information that she gathered. You sort through it and then see if you can do a telephone interview to fill in any info we might be missing," the news director instructed him.