CHAPTER 2 — A Girl with Black Glasses and a Dark Shadow

After slipping into unconsciousness at her restaurant, Haewon was finally declared dead by doctors even before she arrived at Jinsang Hospital for medical treatment. This happened because the incident resulted in Haewon having to suffer serious injuries and bleeding in the spine, tailbone, and head.

Haewon's death immediately shocked Dalmi and Gyungsoo. Those who have always been by Haewon's side since Haewon experienced the tragic incident, couldn't believe the sad news. Haewon's sudden death feels like a nightmare during the day, when Dalmi and Gyungsoo wake up from their sleep, the nightmare will be gone.

Unfortunately, Haewon's death wasn't a dream, but a bitter reality that Dalmi and Gyungsoo had to accept as Haewon's best friends. Dalmi and Gyungsoo's tears streamed down their faces after Haewon was declared dead. The two of them cried even more when Haewon's body was buried in the funeral home.

"I shouldn't have let go of your hand this afternoon, Haewon. I should have hugged you tightly in my arms." ​​Dalmi said with her speech stuttering as she stared at Haewon's coffin. "I shouldn't have left you there alone. I should have accompanied you there, or forcibly pulled you out and taken you out of there." Dalmi's words show and prove that she really regrets not being able to save Haewon from death.

"Haewon, I felt your last breath and I saw life fading from your eyes, but.. I can't say anything to you. I'm sorry, Haewon." Dalmi's tears ran down her face again. "This is the second biggest pain I've suffered. And I will take this pain as a consequence because I couldn't save you, Haewon," said Dalmi while crying. "Haewon, thank you for being my best friend all this time. I hope you sleep peacefully in God's lap. Goodbye Haewon." Dalmi got up from her seat and left, leaving Haewon lying helplessly in the funeral home.

~~~

At 8:15 p.m. Dalmi and Gyungsoo left the funeral home located at Jinsang Hospital — the place where Haewon's body was buried before her body was cremated. Once out of the funeral home, Dalmi and Gyungsoo immediately got into their car. Dalmi sat beside Gyungsoo who was driving a luxury car worth 4 billion rupiah from one of the famous Italian manufacturers.

"Gosh!! It feels like a dream to see Haewon lying helpless in the funeral home today," said Gyungsoo — the man who brought Dalmi back to her apartment that night. "No way... No... No way Haewon died. It's a dream, right?" Gyungsoo glanced at Dalmi who was silent next to him. "This is not true!!" Gyungsoo grumbled back. He then rubbed his face roughly. This man is frustrated after learning that his best friend, Haewon, died before she even arrived at Jinsang Hospital.

While Gyungsoo continued to babble as if he couldn't believe what had happened to Haewon, beside him, Dalmi was silent as she looked at the segment of the net on her right side. Since then, this woman was busy daydreaming so she didn't pay attention to Gyungsoo's words. In this silence, Dalmi seems to be busy blaming herself because she didn't try harder to save Haewon.

"Gyungsoo, actually this afternoon, when I approached Haewon in the restaurant's kitchen, I saw a dark shadow behind Haewon and the rest of Haewon's life very clearly. But I couldn't say anything to her at all. I couldn't save Haewon. I should have stopped that. But I can't change her destiny, Gyungsoo," said Dalmi. This girl was annoyed. She groans in tears as she holds a conversation with Gyungsoo — telling what her eyes had seen moments before Haewon fatally slipped in the kitchen of her restaurant.

Through Dalmi's words and the way she spoke, Gyungsoo realized and also understood that Dalmi was actually not only blaming herself for Haewon's death. But Dalmi also wondered to herself, did she really bring misfortune to people, and did people die because of her.

"Dalmi, you shouldn't blame yourself like this. Because of what happened to Haewon today, it was all Haewon's destiny. We don't know when and how she left, no matter whether you can see the dark shadow and also the rest of her life or not , if the time comes, things like this will still come too." This man then tightly gripped Dalmi's trembling hand.

Dalmi's trembling hands reminded Gyungsoo of the young Dalmi who faced many difficulties and suffered. It was Dalmi's sixth birthday. After the birthday party ended, Gyungsoo saw Dalmi standing beside her birthday cake crying and calling out to her Grandpa.

Seeing Dalmi cry, Gyungsoo then approached Dalmi. But, before Gyungsoo had time to ask Dalmi 'why', Dalmi's grandfather came over to Gyungsoo and Dalmi. After Grandfather arrived in front of Dalmi, he immediately grabbed Dalmi's trembling hand and calmed her granddaughter's heart by hugging her tightly.

From that day, Gyungsoo finally knew why Dalmi's hands were shaking, and why Dalmi always called her Grandpa when she was crying. It happened because Dalmi was scared when she could see a dark shadow appearing behind someone. So, finally Dalmi's grandfather gave Dalmi sunglasses to help prevent Dalmi from seeing scary things.

~~~~

45 minutes after Dalmi's sixth birthday party ended, a girl wearing a light pink dress was seen crying hysterically while standing next to her little birthday cake. The little girl is none other than Dalmi who has just turned six years old.

"Grandpaaa..." While crying, Dalmi screamed for her grandfather — a middle-aged man, with a thin mustache, fat, and white hair, was standing a few meters in front of Dalmi. "Grandpaaa...." Dalmi kept calling her Grandpa.

Gyungsoo who heard Dalmi's cry, then turned his gaze to the source of the sound. He found Dalmi already sitting limply on the floor alone, in a state of crying while screaming for her grandfather. Realizing his best friend was crying, Gyungsoo immediately approached Dalmi.

"Dalmi—" Gyungsoo's words were cut short when Dalmi's grandpa came over to them and then Grandpa tightly gripped Dalmi's trembling hand.

"I'm scared, Grandpa. I'm so scared," Dalmi looked at her Grandpa while continuing to cry.

Hearing Dalmi complain, Grandpa Dalmi nodded his head. This is a sign that Grandpa understands exactly how his granddaugther is feeling. "Calm down Dalmi. Don't worry and be afraid. Grandpa is here with you," said Grandpa. And the this man hugs Dalmi tightly.

"Grandpa, why me?! Why only me?!! Why?!!!" With a heart filled with fear, Dalmi asked Grandpa when Grandpa was hugging her.

For a few seconds, Grandpa was at a loss for words after he heard the question that came out of his beloved granddaughter's mouth. "Dalmi..." Grandpa loosened his arms. After that, Grandpa looked at Dalmi and wiped Dalmi's tears with his hand. "Dalmi is a special child who is very loved by God. Now, maybe Dalmi doesn't understand everything. But later, when Dalmi grows up and becomes an adult, Dalmi will know and be able to understand everything well." Grandpa answered with a soft voice

"But I'm so scared, Grandpa." Dalmi replied while crying. Meanwhile, Gyungsoo, who didn't understand anything at the time, chose to remain silent.

"Dalmi, don't worry. Everything will be fine," said Grandpa. "So that you don't feel afraid anymore when you see a dark shadow behind someone, Grandpa will make your eyes normal." Then Grandpa Dalmi's one hand pulled out an object from his trouser pocket. "Look at this Dalmi!" Grandpa ordered.

"Glasses?" Dalmi asked Grandpa when she saw love-shaped glasses with black lenses and pink eyeglass frames.

Hearing that question, Grandpa then nodded his head quickly. "These are magic glasses." Grandpa's words instantly made Dalmi's crying stop. Then Grandpa tucked the hilt of the glasses over Dalmi's ear and put the glasses frame slowly on Dalmi's nose bone. "With these glasses, you won't see anything scary anymore," Grandpa said as he smiled.

"Is it true that by wearing these glasses, I will not see scary things again?" Dalmi asked after she put on the sunglasses her grandfather gave her.

"Yes Dalmi." Grandpa nodded his head again. While Dalmi stared at his grandfather in silence.

After calming Dalmi's anxiety and fear, Dalmi's grandfather walks past his granddaughter. Seeing Grandpa Dalmi's back getting further and further away from his sight, Gyungsoo ran after Grandpa Dalmi. "Grandpa.. Wait!!" Gyungsoo called Dalmi's Grandpa.

Dalmi's grandfather immediately stopped his steps as soon as he heard Gyungsoo calling him. After that, Grandpa Dalmi looked back and knelt before Gyungsoo. "What's wrong Gyungsoo?" he asked.

"Hm.. Grandpa, actually I'm curious, why lately Dalmi's hands are shaking so often and she is also crying in fear like earlier? Then, what is meant by that scary thing, Grandpa? Why did Grandpa say that Dalmi is a special child?" Gyungsoo looked at Dalmi's Grandpa with a confused expression.

Dalmi's Grandpa sighed then gave Gyungsoo his best smile. This middle-aged man also put his hands on Gyungsoo's right and left shoulders before he started speaking.

"Because Dalmi can see the time of someone's death." In cash, the answer that came out of Grandpa Dalmi's mouth made Gyungsoo take two steps back. From Gyungsoo's reaction at that time, Dalmi's Grandpa knew how shocked Gyungsoo was at the fact he had just heard.

~~~~

The flashback makes Gyungsoo regret demanding Dalmi be brave without her sunglasses. Because of this regret, Gyungsoo finally apologized to Dalmi and told her to keep wearing her glasses. "Dalmi, you don't need to take off your glasses when you're scared," said Gyungsoo. "But Dalmi, please don't ever think that you bring misfortune to people. Because that's not true!" Gyungsoo said firmly.

Hearing that, Dalmi glanced at the sunglasses in her hand. "Grandpa, I really can't stand to see it anymore. I can't stand it anymore," said Dalmi. She spoke from her heart. After that, this woman put her sunglasses back on. However, just as Dalmi was about to put on her sunglasses, she saw a dark shadow appear behind the back of a man standing on the edge of the bridge. "He's going to die..."

~~~