Blank.

Mute.

Seo-jun had no time to realise what had happened. All he knew was that one second, his grandma was there - welcoming him with a smile, and the next - she was underneath the tree. Unconscious and with a puddle of blood near her head.

He was unable to move, as if he was glued to the ground - his mind screamed to run forward and do something - but his body stiffened - like a rock. He couldn't believe that out of all people, it happened to his beloved Hye-won. It has to be a dream—a nightmare that he will wake up soon.

"-Seo-jun! Snap out of it! Now!" Before he could register what was said to him, Il-sung slapped his face - hard. The instant pain got Seo-jun out of his paralysis. In just a mere second, he was able to once again hear the rain and the wind, along with his old man shouting and urging him to help him.

By reflex, he quickly unlocked his phone and dialed the ambulance. The next thing he remembered was dashing towards the fallen tree, before his mind once again went into fight or flight mode.

At the hospital, Il-sung and Seo-jun patiently waited in the hallway. The ceiling lights blinked constantly - promising to shut down in any given moment. Grandma was brought in a critical condition. Her head had suffered the most, and doctors took her away to perform surgery.

Hours seemed to pass; they felt incredibly long. Seo-jun did not leave his spot—guilt eating him alive.

It was a nasty feeling, as if Seo-jun was sinking. Heart anxiously pumped the blood through his veins, and regardless, he was still feeling numb in his limbs. His breathing failed to be even. Cold sweat with rainwater soaked in his clothes, causing him to shiver from time to time. His vision blurred. Brain replayed the event again and again, leaving room for Seo-jun to take a break. It was mixed with the other memories of his grandma. One could say that their life together flashed before his eyes.

Il-sung looked at him, and he realised that he had gone paler. Unfortunately, Il-sung could not help, as he was in the same boat. The love of his life was on the verge of life and death - the thought was unbearable. He felt dizzy and decided to take a smoke close by and get some fresh air. The walls of the hospital suffocated him with every minute.

If Hye-won were to die, he would end up being lonely. It was not about his grandkid being close by and keeping him company; he knew that at some point, the boy would leave off to find someone for himself.

In his ideal old and perfect world, Il-sung and Hye-won were there together to see off Seo-jun to his own family journey. They were secretly hoping to see his kids as well, wondering who would look like Seo-jun or his beloved.

This is how it goes. This is how it's supposed to be—was supposed to be.

Il-sung's world was shattering right in front of him - and he wasn't able to save it.

The image of his wife, crashed underneath that damn tree, was inhumane. Il-sung gauged that the medical bills would be enormous, and they don't have that money. No matter how hard they've worked, it would not cover all the invoices. The insurance would only cover the tip of the iceberg.

"What are you thinking?"

Il-sung turned around and saw Seo-jun standing at the entrance of the hospital.  

The storm had ended. The rays of sunset lay on the hospital, giving a comforting sense of hope for those who seek it. The dark clouds were passing by the sky, mixing it in colors of golden hour and dark grey. The once strong wind was now breezing through the scapes of the medical facility, offering some sense of apology for the caused tragedy.

The hospital was placed on the upper hill of the district. It was a five-floor building, and the front side, where the entry was, showed the most cinematic view. The patients' rooms as well as the doctors' break rooms looked at the Ocean and the sun kissing the horizon, the lower eye was lying from the horizon, the more one could see that the shore was changing to the thick line of trees, which always welcomed kids for adventures. The forest line eventually aligned with the district's asphalt jungle.

The blind eye could instantly notice the following colors of royal purple mixed with winter blue in the sky, which was kissed by rich ember and gold of the sunset. The waters played with the color of navy blue, glistering with the radiant diamonds of the white waves. The sand offered beige and a mixture of pale yellow. It is directly contrasted with the green palette of the forest, which also shimmered in the sunlight. The composition was closed by the matte shades of grey asphalts and any shattered colours that the houses still held, that stood at the bottom of the hill.

The sunset played on the tanned face of Seo-jun. His ruby eyes flamed under the reins. His exhausted posture leaned on the frame of the door, as he appeared in front of the old man in new clothes. Grey sweatpants and a baggy dark blue hoodie, hands placed in the middle pocket.

"You look better. New clothes?" Il-sung asked, exhaling the cloud of thick smoke surrounding him.

"Kinda, nurses gave me the clean clothes of a guy who long ago left the hospital." Visibly, his hair was still damp, and he didn't bother to change it, leaving it in a messy bun-tail.

"Unusual to see you fully clothed," the man sighed, turning back to face the fading sun. Seo-jun sighed, approaching the spot.

"So, what's on your mind?" The young man asked, taking out his own set of cigarettes and a lighter. The motion of taking one out of the box and lighting it up was natural, as breathing itself.

Once Seo-jun took the first inhale of the evening, his mind calmed down. That's what he needed.

From the corner of Il-sung's eye, he noticed how Seo-jun rolled and closed his eyes in awaited relief and pleasure of having smoke in his lungs. The man deeply sighed.

"You need to find another job - fast"

"Tell me about it, old man. I'll have to look in the main city." His grandpa nodded, agreeing with him.

"Here, no one will be able to help us with the bills." Said Seo-jun. "But they will help out in many different ways". Il-sung sighed.

Both of them remained in silence, trying to process the event of the day. Seo-jun knew his old man was bad at talking about his feelings, and he could offer the space for him to open up when he's ready.

"You know...." Il-sung quietly started, after a long pause, "....Hye-won, she's a tough girl." For him, she was always as young as when they met.

Seo-jun turned his head to see the man, trying to have a nonchalant expression. He remained silent as a safe space.

"She will make it through - she always did. You know, she once got hit by a car - and was fine after a few months."

"I didn't know that," Seo-jun confessed quietly.

"Of course you didn't - it happened before we got you on our hands. Before your dumpass parents dumped you," he snapped, grumpily.

Seo-jun chuchled. It was stuck in his throat, making it raspy and deep. "Their loss"

Il-sung's lips twitched, betraying a small, humorous smile. But it quickly disappeared, under the weight of the tragedy.

"Old man-" Seo-jun reached out, "-she will be alright. We will take care of the bills. I will find more money." He gently placed his hand on his shoulder, reassuringly.

Once the sun set, it was farewell for the day; the two men returned to the hospital. They went to the reception, asking whether the surgery was finished. Luckily for them, the doctor who performed the surgery passed by, searching for the family.

The surgeon’s voice was dry, the kind that stripped hope to its bones. “She had a large intracranial bleed — the clot had to be removed immediately.” Seo-jun barely understood the words, only the sums that floated after them; an emergency operation, weeks in the ICU — ten, maybe more days — and then rehabilitation for months. Even if the state picked up most of the basic fees, the hospital estimated the raw bill at roughly 100 million won. Insurance might shave the top, the doctors said, but the family would still face tens of millions out of pocket. It was not just grief they were facing now — it was a life-shaping debt, if Seo-jun didn't find a good job quickly.