CHAPTER 7: TRAGEDY OF DEATHS

Arya went shopping with her mother in a luxurious mall where she saw Min-ho enjoying snacks with his family. Arya smiles a little, observing his good-boy characteristics in his interactions with his parents.

Arya's mother starts selecting a few dresses for her, signaling Arya to try them on, and she follows suit. Arya tries different outfits to showcase to her mother, but none of them are liked.

Finally, Arya wears a long, red wine-colored frock. She steps out and walks like a model in front of her mother. At that moment, Min-ho enters and is stunned by her looks, as she appears like a princess without her spectacles. Arya's mother clicks a few pictures of Arya to show her husband. She tries to capture pictures of both of them, but the photos end up blurry. Arya's mother calls Min-ho over to take a picture of them together, and he obliges. Min-ho signals his eyebrows towards Arya, indicating that she looks good.

Arya's mother thanks Min-ho for taking pictures, and afterward, she goes to the bill counter to pay for the dress in dollars. Min-ho, with a lowered voice, says, "Now I get to know why you were unconscious at school, just to buy new dresses. Anyway, you look like a Disney Princess. You look cool without spectacles, but I feel like a fake Arya."

Arya responds, "Yaa! What do you really want to tell me? Do you feel like I am beautiful or not? Your compliment feels like you want me to feel beautiful and not at the same time?"

Min-ho laughs, "What I wanted to tell you is that you are beautiful the way you want to be or the way you feel comfortable. Most people like you when you use contact lenses, wear luxurious dresses, follow trending fashion, especially with the so-called whitish color. But you look best with simple things like your spectacles, a simple dress style, a calm mind, disciplined thoughts, and actions makes you much more beautiful for me."

Arya, in a confused state of mind, says, "You know, I really can't understand your thoughts. Unfortunately, my mother is waiting for me, so see you at school."

After buying a dress, Arya and her mother walk towards the women's footwear shop. Surprisingly, Arya's father comes over there and apologizes to his wife for being late. Arya's mother nods with a frustrated mood.

Arya's family discusses which style suits her. Both her mother and father start arguing like barking dogs. In order to stop the couple's cringey fight, Arya says, "Stop it, guys! This is not our home,maintain some discipline. Please behave like professional parents, at least. For God's sake, please don't argue. If you want to know which one I should pick for myself, I want the shoes both of you selected. So please go and pay the bill, and let's go to the park to have some fresh air."

As Arya's family comes out from the mall, Arya watches Min-ho on the opposite side with his family, waiting for his father. Arya's mother informs that she will get the car, so Arya and her father should wait. Arya waits, and Min-ho signals that she looks beautiful. Arya smiles, and Min-ho's father drives the car to pick up his family, and unfortunately, there is eye contact with Arya. Min-ho's father drives his car faster towards the truck and smashes it,where he collapses and passes away.

People around the incident scream, but Arya's father covers Arya's eyes with his hands and tells her not to move any further steps. Min-ho is completely shattered by watching his own father's death, and his family members run towards the lifeless body, sobbing as if they've lost their family's biggest strength. Arya's father calls the cops and the ambulance. The cops arrive, and everything proceeds according to the rules. The ambulance takes the body to the hospital with the family.

Arya's father slowly removes his hands from Arya's eyes and reassures her not to worry, as the man has been taken to the hospital, and the rest will be taken care of by the family. He suggests going to the park to help Arya feel better. Arya's mother drives the car, and the father-daughter duo heads towards the park.

Arya starts to cry in the car due to the incident and says, "The man who passed away there was my classmate Min-ho's father." Arya's mother questions, "Min-ho?"

Arya responds, "The guy who clicked pictures of us over the mall." Arya's father, with a worried face, says, "Oh God! It's a really great loss for his family."

Arya's family reached the park and tried so hard to console Arya for the incident. Arya's father noticed her body shivering, so he hugged her and said, "Nothing to worry, my girl. What happened has happened. There is nothing you have to worry about. My princess, you are strong, and you have to accept the facts and things happening around you. Don't think furthermore. Give one more tight hug to your dad now, so I can believe you have power like your favorite hero Iron Man."

Somehow, Arya stops her crying and tries to be a normal person. Arya's father goes to buy her favorite ice cream, while her mother says, "My daughter should be like a mature person, but you are like a crybaby. If you are a crybaby, people around you enjoy hurting you. Always remember that being too kind and emotional is your strong weakness. It literally drains not only your mood but your life too. As a human, you need to be kind and emotional, but not this much. There must be a limit for everything in this world. Use your precious kindness when needed, not at every time. Do you understand my words, darling?"

Arya nods, and her father buys ice cream. Her family enjoys it, and Arya smiles a little while watching them and she starts noticing things and people around the park. She raises her eyebrows as she watches Police Officer Sam smiling with the doctor who treated her. The police officer gets a call, picks up, and slowly moves a few steps away from the doctor. The doctor, too, is enjoying her ice cream. Suddenly, she makes eye contact with Arya, throws her ice cream, and runs like mad towards the road. She collides with a car and dies in front of Sam.