Chapter 29 - The Accident

Two strong hands appeared and pulled Min Jung's hands, another pair of hands held on her armpits to raise her up. Jin Ae slumped on the ground breathing heavily. A hand helped her up to her feet.

"Min Jung-ah!" The two girls ran towards Min Jung who was now sitting on the ground. She couldn't bring herself to stand up for she had no energy left at all. She was crying non-stop. The PE Teacher looked over her bruises.

"Are you okay?" asked Jin Ae's classmate who helped her to stand up. Min Jung's friends stormed towards her.

"Yah! Jin Ae-ah! So you really pushed her on the cliff?!"

"How could you do this to her!"

"We knew it! You're so evil!"

Jin Ae stepped backward as they lunged toward her.

"I did not do anything," she muttered. So soft that they couldn't hear it at all.

"I did not do anything!" Jin Ae told Myung Soo. He happened to follow her and Eun Jung when he saw them go to the rooftop. He quickly ran beside her and looked below to see a lifeless Eun Jung on the ground.

"She lunged towards me and she lost her footing, I did not do anything!" She trembled in fear.

Myung Soo took her trembling hands and pulled her out of the scene. He took her to an empty room of the hospital.

"Noona, listen. You were with me all this time. You never saw Eun Jung noona today, you did not know what happened."

Jin Ae's fear turned to confusion, "What do you mean?"

"You were with me."

"But, Myung Soo! That couldn't be! I could tell the truth. I did not do anything wrong!"

"Look, noona. It's not that easy, okay? I'm going to help you. I'll cover you up. Just say you were with me and everything will be fine."

"You don't believe in me, do you?" Tears falling down her face.

"-you think I pushed her!"

"-you think I killed Eun Jung!"

Jin Ae's eyes flicker, voices running on her head.

"You pushed Min Jung!"

"....I'll cover you up...."

"You pushed her, how dare you!"

"....just say you were with me...."

"You pushed her!"

"Noona! Noona!" Myung Soo imprisoned her trembling body as she tried to get away from his grasp. They could hear the commotion outside.

"Jin Ae! Jin Ae!"

Jin Ae broke from her trance and saw Kim Jeong Won shaking her. He saw her wrist, bleeding from the sharp stones and weeds. He must be so upset to see her hurt and looking distraught that he did not realize that he was grabbing her arms forcibly.

Jin Ae could feel the force from his grasp and could see the anger in his eyes but misunderstood it for something else. She pushed him away.

She glared at him and at the others with disdain.

"Yes! I pushed her! I pushed her off the cliff!.... are you satisfied?!" She exclaimed.

Everyone froze. All Jeong Won wanted was to comfort her but her glaring eyes steered him away. Her eyes were red and tears were threatening to fall down from them. Right then, Chul Soo appeared and pulled Jin Ae towards him before she could shed a tear. He looked at Jeong Won intensely before he brought Jin Ae out of the scene.

"It's my fault."

Min Jung said in between sobs.

"If I only listened to Jin Ae, we shouldn't be lost. It's also my fault that I slipped."

Min Jung's friends went to console her.

"I hope what happened will not be mentioned to your other classmates."

The students nodded while Jeong Won wiped a tear that fell down from his left cheek.

* * *

"We have found them easily by following the white stones on the road. It wasn't a deep cliff at all, if Min Jung fell down, she would have only hurt a leg. They just panicked so much."

The adviser carefully damped cotton on Min Jung's wounds and she hissed.

"What I'm worried about is Jin Ae. You know, she got involved in an accident like this before although they claimed she wasn't on the scene that day. But if the rumors are true, she could have been more traumatized witnessing the exact same scene."

Her words brought Jeong Won to recall that day when he and Jin Ae visited halmeoni.

"Child, could you please get the basket inside."

Jeong Won courteously followed and went inside the house. As he was searching for the basket, his eyes laid on a picture frame resting on a cabinet. A girl with braided hair tucked behind her ears, wearing a Sunday dress. She was almost perfectly like what Jin Ae looked like today, but the thing was... she was not her.

* * *

Yoo In Na went out of the tent where Jin Ae was resting and sat next to Yoon Chul Soo.

"Is she okay, now?" He asked.

"She's not tense anymore."

"It's really a good thing we came. If we're not here, she would be left alone, while everyone's concerned with their sassy class president," Dokyeom said annoyingly.

In Na sighed and faced Chul Soo, "I don't know what to think now, Chul Soo. Looking at how affected Jin Ae became after what just happened, I would want to believe that she was there when Eun Jung fell."

He did not spare her a glance.

"You won't still say anything?" She snapped. Dokyeom was also confused as well.

He stared at her with intent eyes and said: "Just trust her."

* * *

In spite of the small accident they had and for the reason that what happened was not mentioned to others, the camp ended successfully with the students cheering together and planning for a comeback. On their way back, it wasn't a noisy and chaotic ride like they were en route, but a peaceful ride for most of them were sleeping.

Jeong Won glanced at the empty seat beside him. Although tired, he couldn't make himself sleep because of the worry he had felt since he saw Jin Ae's frightened look and trembling body under her grasp. He scolds himself for holding her roughly. All he wanted now was to tell her he's sorry and to make sure she was okay but Jin Ae opted to ride with her friends on her way back home. They were ahead of the bus as usual, but slower this time.

And there she was, her right chin resting on her hands laid flatly on the open window of the car, staring blankly ahead.

Jeong Won moved near to the open window and laid his arms on it. Rested his right cheek on his arm and stared outside, the same way as the girl on his mind was doing.

From a distance, they looked like star-crossed lovers.... separated by regrets and uncertainties.... divided by confused unspoken feelings.

And for that moment, the wind brushing against their faces was the only thing that united them.

* * *

"Jin Ae-ssi?" Jun Ho knocked at her door thrice.

"I know you said upstairs is off-limits, but I just wanna tell you that Dong Won has already left."

Kang Dong Won rose early that day but Jun Ho was earlier that he was already having a cup of coffee when he went to the kitchen. Neither of them spoke. Dong Won was obviously waiting for Jin Ae to come out before he leaves. But it was already seven in the morning and they haven't even seen her shadow.

Jun Ho acted like he wasn't a bit concerned. It was the weekend anyway.

"I think I should go now," Dong Wan said, he has to go back to Seoul.

"I'll send your regards on Jin Ae," Jun Ho said.

It was already 8 in the morning and Jin Ae wasn't showing up. Jun Ho decided to check on her so that was why he found himself standing on her door.

"I know it's weekend. And if you're just planning to lock yourself up in your room because I am here. I could stay in my room instead. How about that?"

He continued saying at the front of her door. The stillness of the room inside gave him a knot on his stomach so he turned the doorknob and found it unlocked. He slowly opened the door and he could see someone on the bed. Looked like she was still sleeping. He sighed in relief.

The room was dark so he went to open the windows. It might somehow wake her up also. It's not good to oversleep.

He peeked at her and she was covered by the duvet from head to toe. Then as he was about to leave, a pack of medicine on her night table caught his eye. He picked it up and they were paracetamol and other kinds for fever.

His eyes widened when an unpleasant thought came to his mind. He quickly freed her head from the duvet and her hair was all messed up.

He cupped her face and feel her skin. She was feverish.