ETERNAL REST | PURINZ

the grief

chaewon went on a date with her boyfriend hyunjin on his birthday, on the way they met kazuha so they insisted on driving her home with them .

The sky was overcast, a dull gray that cast a somber hue over the winding road. Raindrops clung to the windshield as Hyunjin confidently gripped the steering wheel.

“I’ve got this,” he said, flashing a reassuring grin toward Chaewon. She sat in the passenger seat, her fingers fidgeting nervously with the hem of her sweater. “Are you sure? The roads are slippery,” she murmured, glancing at the dark clouds gathering above.

In the back seat, Kazuha was quiet, her head resting against the window, half-asleep. The car hummed along the deserted road, the tension between Chaewon’s unease and Hyunjin’s confidence hanging in the air.

Then it happened.

The curve came too quickly. Hyunjin misjudged it, the tires skidding on the damp asphalt. The car spun out of control, and Chaewon’s scream was swallowed by the deafening crash. Glass shattered, metal groaned, and the world tipped sideways before going black.

—

When Hyunjin regained consciousness, his vision was blurry, his head pounding. He groaned, looking around the wreckage. The car was a mangled mess, smoke curling from the engine.

Chaewon was slumped in the passenger seat, blood trickling from a cut on her temple. In the back, Kazuha was motionless, her face pale but her chest rising faintly.

Panic gripped him. His mind raced as he realized the severity of the situation. He looked at Chaewon again and then at the driver’s seat. His heart sank.

If they think I was driving…

The thought was unbearable. Hyunjin unbuckled his seatbelt with trembling hands, his breaths shallow and rapid. He crawled out of the car, staggering to the passenger side. Gritting his teeth, he unbuckled Chaewon and carefully moved her into the driver’s seat.

—

weeks later,

Chaewon’s eyes fluttered open in a stark white hospital room. The fluorescent lights buzzed softly above her, and the smell of antiseptic filled the air. Her body ached, and her mind was clouded with fragments of the crash.

“ kim chaewon,” unfamiliar voice called out.

She turned her head slowly to see some officers standing close and yunjin sitting by her bedside, her expression a mix of relief and seriousness, yunjin was dressed sharply, a stack of documents in her lap.

“ what happened . .? ” Chaewon croaked, her throat dry and scratchy.

“You’ve been in a coma for two weeks,” Yunjin said gently, handing her a glass of water. “ we're glad you’re awake, but we need to talk.”

Yunjin hesitated before speaking. “There was a car accident. You, Hyunjin, and Kazuha were in the car. The police believe… you were driving.”

Chaewon froze, her heart sinking. “No,” she said, shaking her head weakly. “I wasn’t driving. Hyunjin was. He insisted—”

Yunjin’s expression hardened, though there was a flicker of sympathy in her eyes. “Miss kim, the evidence says otherwise. Your fingerprints were on the wheel. You were found in the driver’s seat. Hyunjin and Kazuha are both unconscious and can’t corroborate your story.”

“No!” Chaewon’s voice cracked as panic consumed her. “I didn’t do it! Why won’t anyone believe me?”

Yunjin sighed, standing up. “Miss kim, I’m trying to help, but the evidence is damning. You need to prepare yourself. If you don’t cooperate, they’ll arrest you soon.”

“ Kazuha! What about kazuha? she knows that i- she knows the truth! ”

chaewon snapped, then yunjin's eyes softened as she realized that chaewon doesn't know yet that kazuha didn't make it . . she died.

and now chaewon she does know. .

—

the hospital was unusually quiet that evening, the hallways dimly lit as the staff went about their routines. But on the rooftop, a storm was brewing—not in the sky, but in Chaewon’s heart.

She stood at the edge, her hospital gown fluttering in the chilly breeze. The city lights below stretched endlessly, blurred by the tears streaming down her face. Her legs trembled as she gripped the metal railing, her mind spinning with the weight of guilt and betrayal.

Kazuha my bestfriend, kazuha my soulmate is gone . .

behind her, the rooftop door slammed open, the sound echoing sharply.

“Chaewon!” Yunjin’s voice rang out, panicked and desperate. She was still wearing her police officer’s uniform, her badge glinting under the fluorescent rooftop light. Behind her, a couple of nurses hesitated by the doorway, their faces etched with fear.

Chaewon didn’t turn around. “Don’t come closer,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper but laced with pain.

Yunjin raised her hands cautiously, taking slow steps toward her. “Chaewon, please. You don’t have to do this. Let’s talk, okay?”

Chaewon let out a bitter laugh, her grip tightening on the railing. “Talk? What’s there to talk about, Yunjin? Everyone already made up their minds. They think I killed Kazuha. They think I was driving.”

“I don’t believe that,” Yunjin said quickly, her voice cracking. “I  believe you! We can fix this—together. Just come down, please.”

Chaewon’s shoulders shook as she cried harder. “Fix it? How? Hyunjin lied. He moved me to the driver’s seat, and now— i lost my bff . .”

The nurses took a hesitant step forward. “Miss Kim,” one of them called gently, “please come down. We can help you.”

“No one can help me,” Chaewon said, her voice hollow. She turned her head slightly, her tear-streaked face illuminated by the faint rooftop lights. “Kazuha is dead, and Hyunjin will never tell the truth, my life is over.”

Yunjin took another step, her hands trembling. “Chaewon, listen to me, Kazuha loved you, she wouldn’t want this. She would want you to fight for the truth and i'll believe you! ”

then chaewon whispered with a barely heard tone, these words made yunjin look confused.

“if this was my dream, i'd be so happy.”
“if this was your dream . . thank you for saying that you'll believe me. ”

With a sudden movement, she hoisted herself onto the railing, her bare feet gripping the cold metal. Gasps erupted from the nurses, and Yunjin surged forward, her hand outstretched.

“Chaewon, stop!” Yunjin yelled, her voice echoing through the night. “Please! Don’t do this!”

But it was too late . .

Chaewon let go, her body disappearing into the night. The sound of yunjin’s anguished cry echoed across the rooftop as the nurses broke into tears then—

then yunjin jolted awake, it was a nightmare, her body drenched in sweat and her chest heaving. Her room was bathed in the faint glow of the streetlight outside, the shadows of the blinds casting stripes across the walls.

Fuck . .

she sat up, clutching her head, her breaths ragged as the vivid images of the nightmare lingered. Chaewon’s broken voice, the empty look in her eyes, the sound of the wind rushing past—it all felt too real.

“ it was just a dream. ” Yunjin whispered to herself, her voice trembling. But her heart told her otherwise, it felt so real, it felt unbelievably real . .

why did I dream about her? and why her specifically?