Chapter 28 - Dark Past

Min Jung felt that there was something wrong. They were walking for hours now but they still couldn't see a sign to the summit. The bushes grew thicker and thicker, her steps getting heavier and heavier. But she couldn't voice her thoughts because she was afraid they were lost and it was her fault.

"Let's go back." She heard Jin Ae say from her back. She stopped and turned back to face Jin Ae.

"Let's just get back to the camp," Jin Ae continued.

Min Jung's eyes grew wide, "Are you saying we will just quit on reaching the summit?"

"It's better than getting lost somewhere. Besides, it will take us hours again to go back to the diverged road and up to the summit. Hours later and it'll be dark soon after."

"No way! I think we'll just need to look closely and find a shortcut here to the summit. It's nonsensical for me not to be able to reach the summit. I'm the class president!"

"Stop being stubborn, Kim Min Jung! If you just followed my opinion a while ago and chose left, we should have been there now."

"So it's my fault, huh?"

"Yes." Jin Ae said flatly much to Min Jung's annoyance.

"-This time, you follow me."

And Jin Ae turned around and started to walk back. Min Jung couldn't let Jin Ae lead over her and she angrily stormed off in her direction.

"Yah!" She was about to grab her by the shoulder when suddenly her left foot slipped and she was out of balanced. She screamed as she fell down and half of her body slipped on the edge of the cliff. Her elbows and hands scrape on the ground.

* * *

"Min Jung and Jin Ae are missing? What do you mean?" There was a sound of panic in the adviser's voice. Two of the boys were told to go down already to tell the concern to the adviser, who was left to look over the sick Jeong Won.

Curious about the commotion outside, Jeong Won went out of his tent and was shocked to hear the news.

"Sir Lee is already looking for them. The others are going back here soon," the students said, telling their adviser that they would find them soon. The area was a common and safe camping ground and even grade-schoolers went there, that assurance made the adviser at ease a little.

She sighed heavily and dismissed the two students. She went back to Jeong Won's tent to see if he was already finished with his food.

"Are you done-"

But she could not finish her sentence after finding the tent empty and his lunch still left uneaten. She nervously looked around outside but she could not see any trace of him.

* * *

Shocked by what transpired in her eyes. Jin Ae froze on her spot with her hands on her mouth. Her eyes flickered and the terrifying scene in front of her brought her one year ago on the hospital's rooftop...

"Your mom is a homewrecker! A filthy woman!"

"Yah! Take your words back!"

Eun Jung lunged towards her and Jin Ae instinctively avoided her. It was not a smart move for both of them, especially for Eun Jung. She got out of balanced as she lunged forward and in quick seconds she was at the edge of the rooftop, her two arms desperately clinging on the rails she happened to embrace, her feet dangling in the air. Twenty meters to the ground.

Min Jung screeched frantically when her upper body up to her shoulders also slipped down due to her weight. She was holding on to the thick and sturdy roots of the trees.

"Help me!" Min Jung muttered desperately under her breath. Jin Ae could hear Eun Jung's voice instead... "Help me!"

Jin Ae's hand trembled. She couldn't move.

"Help me, Jin Ae!"

The voices were desperate in her head.

"Jin Ae.... help me," as if t would be her last words, Eun Jung managed to utter the words softly but desperately as she reached out for her hands.

Min Jung's hand crawled, reaching up to her.

Suddenly Jin Ae heard a voice,"...if something happens, don't panic."

Jin Ae came back to her senses and ran towards Min Jung. She kneeled and grabbed Min Jung's hand. The same way as she holds onto Eun Jung's hand that day. Pulling her with all might.

But just like what happened that time, she couldn't lift herself up. Min Jung's hand was slowly slipping away. Just like Eun Jung's.

* * *

Jeong Won scurried away without knowing where to start. All he knew was he was going to find Jin Ae no matter what. He frantically looked on the ground as if searching for something. And then he picked one white stone, and then another five steps away. He was confident he could find her.

"What's that?" Jin Ae asked while avoiding Jeong Won's eyes. Hyeon Seong asked her that Jeong Won wanted to see her before she goes out for the hike. She told Hyeon Seong she's busy but here she was, peeking at him at the entrance of his tent.

"White stones. Drop them one by one along the way to leave a trail," he explained. He was still weak but he managed to sit. He moved closer to give the tiny bag of white stones to her but she did not move to reach it.

"Am I a child? I don't need that."

"Come on! You'll never know," he insisted. And he grabbed her hand and put the tiny bag on top of it. Jin Ae could feel the warmth on his hand and she stared at his pale face and lips. She sighed. He was indeed sick.

"You're not in the place to worry about me. Look at you, you're sick," She said it harshly but the tad of concern was too clear for him to understand her meaning. He smiled.

"If something happens, do not panic."

"Arraseo! (I know!) Scoutmaster!" she snapped and as if forced, she put the bag on her jacket.

She was about to say something like 'get well' when Min Jung stood beside her and peeked at Jeong Won too.

"Get well, Jeong Won!" She cheerfully said.

He smiled while Jin Ae exhaled sharply.

* * *

"No! Hold onto me, Eun Jung-ah!"

But Eun Jung's energy was almost depleted and Jin Ae feels like her arms are going to break. Slowly, Eun Jung's hand slipped from her hand.

"Eun Jung-ah!"

"Min Jung!"