There are Many Flowers in Seoul

Chapter Forty-Six

The dress was awkward to remove without the help of the wardrobe department and Rose struggled with the zip at the back in a panic as Tae-won's unconscious body drifted further out into the lake. Finally there was enough of a gap for Rose to wriggle out of it, leaving her in just an ivory silk slip and her shoes which were kicked off with the yards of luxurious fabric. If she'd had a phone or thought there was time, Rose would have called for help. When it came to drowning time was of the essence. If she didn't get Tae-won out of the water as soon as possible there was less chance of him surviving this accident. Besides, the others were only on a short break and would be back soon, then they'd call for an ambulance.

The lake was freezing – unforgiving – and the icy water wrapped around Rose's limbs like snaking tendrils which tried to drag her down to the depths. It wasn't deep by the steps where she descended, but the further out she travelled the more the water rose until it was around her waist. Frustrated by the way it slowed her down as she waded out, Rose kicked her feet and propelled herself forward, swimming towards Tae-won and stretching her fingers to grasp his ankle. Rose dropped her feet and dug them into the silt and muck at the bottom of the lake, trying to gain some purchase so she could drag Tae-won back towards her. Carefully, she turned him over in the water.

Rose had hoped he'd cough or sputter, but no sound came from his lips which was an incredibly bad sign. With a hand beneath his chin to keep his face above the water level, Rose used one arm and her legs to swim back to the building. The others had returned to find an abandoned dress and shoes. Their curiosity piqued, they looked over the wall and spotted the pair making their way back to the building steps. Rose's hair and makeup were ruined, she was soaked to the bone, and the silk slip clung to her skin so resolutely that she knew she'd have to peel it off when she was done. All these things were insignificant in light of the fact Tae-won might die if she didn't bring him around soon. Unfortunately, the only staff members to have come back were the assistants. Yuta hadn't joined them on the shoot and Hitomi had bailed in favour of an early night, so Rose couldn't count on the people she knew well to help her.

'Rose!' Si-woo shouted when he came back, his eyes wide with panic. He tore the camera from around his neck and thrust it into Jung-wook's hands. He didn't bother taking off his shoes or clothes – his weren't from the new collection, after all – and ran to the steps and into the water without hesitation. Rose was finally close enough to the building to put her feet back down, and Si-woo grasped Tae-won's arm to drag him back onto the wooden floor. 'Jung-wook, call an ambulance!' he barked at his assistant.

Exhausted though she was – her limbs all pleading with her for a moment of rest – Rose knelt beside Tae-won and checked his neck for a pulse. His eyes didn't so much as flutter and she pressed her mouth to his, forcing air through his closed windpipe before she began to push down hard on his chest to the beat of her own racing heart. As part of her life as a role-model student, Rose had attended just about every course and club she could in a bid to make friends. One of them had been a first-aid course, and it was the only experience she had when it came to saving a person's life with CPR. The dummies had never complained about her techniques, but it was difficult to tell when she'd managed to bring them back to life, what with them being dummies. Rose was confident she'd notice if Tae-won came around and hoped that an ambulance would arrive if she couldn't manage it.

'What happened?' Eun-young asked in a panic overhead. 'Why were they in the water?'

'Oppa!' Jin-hee sobbed dramatically as though determined to have a share of the attention the unconscious Tae-won was enjoying. 'Don't die, Oppa!'

None of them were helping. With the exception of Jung-wook, of course, because he was the only one on the phone to the ambulance telling them to hurry up before Tae-won died. Rose hardly had enough breath to fill her own tired, needling lungs, and here she was giving it all to this ignorant celebrity because she didn't want him to die. He had to listen to her tell him what an arrogant piece of crap he was, and he couldn't do that if he was six-feet under.

It felt like an age before his windpipe unclenched, realising at last that it was safe for air to pass through into his lungs as he was no longer submerged in the filthy lake water. Rose jumped when the water lingering in his throat was expelled with a single cough. She rolled Tae-won onto his side, placing him into the recovery position so he wouldn't choke on his own tongue if he passed out again, and slapped her hand against his back to encourage out anything else lodged in his throat.

'Oh, Oppa!' Jin-hee dropped down to stroke his hair, still sobbing like she'd been handed an Oscar. 'I was so scared!'

'Don't,' Rose croaked at her. 'Don't crowd him. He needs space for the paramedics.'

'Rose,' Si-woo crouched behind her and pulled her back against his sodden chest. Bringing his arms around her cold, trembling body, he breathed, 'you frightened me in the water like that.'

'What were you both even doing in there?' Eun-young demanded in her panicked state.

'He's sick,' Rose replied. 'He must have fainted. One minute he was standing up here, and the next he was unconscious down there!'

'And you just jumped in after him?' Eun-young asked. 'What if you'd been hurt out in the water? What if you weren't strong enough to bring him back in? If anything happened to you, Yuta –'

'I'm a good swimmer,' Rose replied. 'I didn't think about it. But he'll be okay now, right?'

'I'll have to call his manager,' Eun-young said, dismissing the question because she couldn't honestly answer it. Only the paramedics and doctors at the hospital could tell them if Tae-won would pull through this in one piece. 'Aish,' Eun-young complained, 'why isn't his manager here? Go Deok-su is so useless!'

Throughout all the noise and panic, Rose's eyes were on Tae-won. He was pale and still – breathing, yes – but not wholly conscious. Gently, she reached for his hand and brushed her fingers against his. Her heart was in a tangle; she hated him, but she loved the potential of him, and she didn't want him to die before he could see what a good man he might be.

'Tae-won...' she said his name so quietly it was barely a whisper. His eyes flickered, but it was the only recognition he gave. Before Rose could say anything else, the paramedics arrived, and they were all forced back. In the fuss, Si-woo didn't let go of Rose, and held her so securely that she felt he might never let her go.

If he knew her head was full of another man, she wondered, would he let her go, or would he only hold tighter?