RUN AWAY

"You may be guilty, Sooyoung. But I forgive you...."

Sooyoung gasped for a moment as if she had just been electrocuted by a thousand volts of electricity. Her whole body shook violently. Unfortunately, her body was wrapped in a thick blanket, making her struggle to kick the object in a semi-conscious state. As a result, she rolled over and lay on the floor. Fortunately, the fleece carpet and blanket wrapped around her body protected her head from tripping over the tiles.

Sooyoung opened her heavy eyes, and all she could see was the darkness of the ceiling. The twenty-one-year-old girl's cheeks were wet and moist because she had cried too much in her sleep. Sooyoung repeatedly blinked, rubbing the small stream on her cheek roughly.

"Another shitty nightmare," she mumbled darkly. The corner of her heart was stung again by a bad memory and an image of the dream she had just experienced.

Beyond the mint curtains on the windows, the morning sun was trying to creep in. The light should have shone on Sooyoung's bed and blanket, but because the girl had closed the window too tightly and didn't open it for several days, the light didn't manage to come to wash the gloom in the room.

It took thirty minutes for Sooyoung to persuade herself to face another new day. From morning to night again, she wanted to give up; uncountable times, she wanted to go back to hiding herself in the blanket, but the nightmare image made her doubt. If only the bedroom door weren't open, maybe Sooyoung didn't move from her position on the floor.

"What are you doing over there?" That soft voice came from Ahn Seungkwan, the only older brother and family that Sooyoung had. The man stood in the doorway, one hand on the doorknob while the other crept up the wall, searching for the light switch.

"Don't you dare!" Sooyoung shrieked in panic, then lowered her voice, and repeated, "Don't turn on the fucking light!"

Seungkwan sighed, then stepped inside. Only then could he see the state of his little sister lying weakly on the floor. "Do you need help?"

Sooyoung shook her head, then forced her hands and feet out of the blanket. With the help of her brother, Sooyoung made it to her bed. Seungkwan also pulled the mint curtains on the windows, so the room slowly found its light source again.

"Let's have breakfast together," said Seungkwan. It's been a week since his sister returned to the apartment. He always made time to make a simple breakfast at home even though he knew that his sister could make it better.

But Seungkwan knew Sooyoung didn't want to do all that. He would be the dumbest big brother if he couldn't see that his sister was suffering. Not physically, but from within. Every time he returned home, seeing Sooyoung's face that had lost its light tore Seungkwan's heart. Still, he couldn't protest anything while he knew very well what had just happened to Sooyoung.

Another painful loss.

However, he also knows that his mentally strong younger sister is trying to fight her sadness, so all Seungkwan does is support her secretly, like making a simple breakfast. Apart from that, Seungkwan will let Sooyoung do as she pleases until she gets better.

When he saw Sooyoung's attitude as if he was about to refuse, Seungkwan rushed to grab the girl's hand, taking her out of the room, which was filled with a gloomy aura because yesterday was Sunday and Sooyoung had locked herself up all day.

"It's Monday, remember?" Seungkwan tried to encourage his younger brother, sitting on the dining table chair.

"I know," replied Sooyoung, taking a deep breath, but inside she was relieved that her brother was always by her side like now. So she showed her morning smile. "Then I have to work at the cafe, right?"

"That's why you have to be excited." Seungkwan shifted a plate of pancakes topped with ice cream and strawberries.

They sat opposite each other at the dining table, starting to enjoy their breakfasts. Unfortunately, it didn't last long because the sudden ringing of Seungkwan's phone sounded like it broke the comfortable atmosphere that had just formed there. With a bit of nervousness, Seungkwan shifted the phone panel and brought the phone to his ear.

"Hello? Eh? Oh! All right, I'll be there right now." Right after Seungkwan ended the call, he rushed to his feet and took the plate that had half the pancakes left over to the sink.

The twenty-nine-year-old man stomped his feet like he was being chased by time, and all Sooyoung was doing in her seat was watching. How Seungkwan went back and forth from the living room and bedroom, then returned to the kitchen.

Until Seungkwan stopped as he stood in front of the hallway before heading for the exit, he turned his head, and with that, Sooyoung also got up and approached her brother, whose expression changed.

"I have to go to the company now. You hold the key and get to the cafe safely, okay?" Seungkwan babbled in a worried voice mixed with haste. He also said as he put on his white shoes in a hurry. The black bag that was slung over his shoulder sagged back and forth and made him a little annoyed.

Sometimes Sooyoung forgets how busy work is to control her brother, so she can only stare at Seungkwan with concern. While living here, Sooyoung always troubled Seungkwan, so this time Sooyoung wanted to be better.

"I'll be fine. You can go calmly and take care of your kiddos," Sooyoung replied with a faint witty impression but still managed to grow a smile on her brother's lips.

Seungkwan nodded, giving his little sister a quick pat on the head. "I'm leaving now."

The apartment became quiet after the sound of the door closing was heard. Leaving Sooyoung standing in the front aisle, hands raised in the air after waving. Slowly her hand came down, and with that, a feeling of immense emptiness crept into her empty heart again.

If what Sooyoung feels is what she experienced four years ago, she indeed prefers to lock herself in her room again. Escape from reality and a myriad of problems with sleeping all day was the only way Sooyoung did when her head wanted to burst.

But now, at the age of twenty-one, demanding compromise and professionalism as an adult, Sooyoung had to quit. After all, she had run away.

A week ago, Sooyoung left the campus life of Hongik University and the hustle and bustle of central Seoul to return to her home in Pungnap-dong with her big brother. Since their parents died, only her brother's place became Sooyoung's last port.

All of Sooyoung's pain and escape plan started with one thing; the death of her best friend, Jung Hyeri.

Sooyoung's best friend and family when she was studying alone, an irreplaceable female figure of the same age. Sooyoung couldn't get over the pain and the dark shadows as Hyeri's face turned blue. Not only with her headache seeing Hyeri's photo on a funeral funeral home, but the evil whispers also attacked her life.

The last thing Sooyoung had to do was running as far as she could. She jumped to the other side of the Han river, then got away from all the college life she had been through for the past three years.

Yes, let's say that Sooyoung is a cowardly girl because that's how she is.