WITHERING

"Cherry blossoms will bloom, the long autumn will end, Spring would arrive..." Seong-ah said, glancing at the dried cherry blossom tree. Kim Haneul, beside her, secretly looked at her with loving eyes; her bright face made his entire life filled with light. Being an adopted kid from the orphanage, he had no choice when choosing his parents; he was the chosen, unlucky child of a rich family. Loved throughout his childhood, he still felt the distance of the abandoned child within himself. Seong-ah, unlike other kids who befriended Haneul for his money, embraced his real self wholeheartedly.

At the age of 10, he knew that choosing friends was where he had full rights. Seong-ah wasn't brought by his parents; she walked into his life like a breeze of spring. As they reached adulthood, Haneul dreamed of spending his entire life with his best friend, unknowingly falling in love. They stuck together all day long. He waited for graduation to express his feelings to Seong-ah, but not speaking out led their friendship into the pits of darkness, snatching away all the light. Seong-ah left his side forever, resenting him for the next whole decade.

"Will you ever... forgive me... Seong-ah?" Haneul asked as tears collected in his eyes.

"Why would you ask that, Haneul? Do you want me to forgive you?" Seong-ah asked, her gaze fixed on the cherry blossom tree.

"Forgive me... Please... Forgive me for once... it's been ten years... I can't live with this regret anymore... tell me what should I do to beg for your mercy?" Haneul pleaded.

"I don't feel innocent enough to forgive you, Haneul-ah. My inner self has already stained with all the sins I've committed to get this position... the innocent, cheerful, happy Yoon Seong-ah you are searching for has long disappeared into this selfish world... Don't ask for my forgiveness... our friendship has withered... no spring could bloom it again..."

An empty smile glanced on Seong-ah's face. She looked at Haneul, who was looking at her with apologetic eyes. She walked past him and went inside the police camp built in the forest. Haneul stood in the same place, with a blank face, tears rolling down his eyes. The only hope of Seong-ah forgiving him had also diminished into thin air.

...

10 PM, Itaewon

Neon red lights flushed the living room, the bedroom painted in dark green hues. Photographs cluttered around in the living room, followed by the foliage of old sketches into the bedroom. Lee Hangyul lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling for the past two hours, exerting extreme pressure on his brain, recollecting his erased memories. His head hurt with the film of bitter memories flashing blurry in front of his eyes, dancing on that ceiling painted in black, forcing Hangyul to close his eyes from pain.

A doorbell echoed, breaking the eerie silence of his apartment. The sound reached Hangyul's ears, but he couldn't break the reverie of his thoughts. The doorbell continued ringing for the next few minutes, forcing him to walk into the living room. He stepped on numerous sketches and photographs as he reached the door. Hangyul opened the door with heavy eyes.

Yoon Seong-ah stood in front of him with a stern look on her face. He did not utter a word, turned behind, and walked inside the room, leaving the door open for Seong-ah. She entered the room as her heartbeats increased with each passing minute.

Seong-ah saw the messed-up house, kneeled down to pick up a few photographs showing Park Heejin doing her daily household work. One photo with Heejin cooking in the kitchen, smiling brightly into the camera, and another with Heejin watering the lawn. Seong-ah picked up yet another photograph of Park Heejin and Kang Chaewon on the beach, looking like the perfect sisters where Heejin patted her younger sister Chaewon's head.

"You clicked all these pictures?" Seong-ah asked as she stood up and walked inside the bedroom, looking at the littered pencil sketches.

Hangyul remained quiet as usual, not answering any of her questions. Until the moment where Seong-ah noticed a familiar face among those sketches. She bent down to pick that up, but Hangyul snatched that paper from her hands quickly.

"What the hell? Let me look!" Seong-ah shouted at him.

"No, you can't," Hangyul replied as he folded that paper into a square and placed it inside the pocket of his trousers.

"Why? That face seems..." Seong-ah insisted.

"No! Just spit out whatever you wanna say and get lost from my house!" Hangyul raised his voice, looking angrily at Seong-ah.

"Okay... okay fine... calm down... I've come here to inform you that a team of cops along with Kim Haneul will reach here until midnight to take you into custody for interrogation for Kang Jurin's murder. Now, it's up to you... you can act as you wish..." Seong-ah turned behind and walked towards the entrance slowly. But as soon as Hangyul turned his back towards the bedroom, she quickly spun around, pulled out the sketch paper from his pocket swiftly, and ran out of the door before Hangyul could even understand what happened with him.

"Yoon Seong-ah!!! Stop!!" He ran behind her, but it was too late as she had long gone out of his apartment.

...

**12 AM, Incheon Base Camp**

"I will take him to the NIC office; no need for a team of cops," said Haneul, arranging the revolver in the holster attached to his belt.

"Are you sure about it? He might attack if he's under a trance..." Professor Sungtae cautioned Kim Haneul as he walked out of the tent with the car keys in his hand.

"Don't worry, Professor. I know how to handle his attacks," Haneul reassured the Professor and his team, who looked at him with expectant eyes.

Kim Haneul entered his car and started driving out of the forest. He smoothly navigated the main road until he had to abruptly brake when an unknown person ran in front of his car. The headlights illuminated the figure, revealing Lee Hangyul standing in front of the vehicle.

Shocked to see him in the middle of the road at midnight, Haneul rushed out of the car and ran towards him. He grabbed Hangyul's arms and pulled him inside the car.

"What do you think you're doing, Hangyul? Do you even know how dangerous this area is?" Kim Haneul scolded Hangyul, who sat beside him with a stoic expression.

"I've come here to surrender myself," Hangyul said, closing his eyes tightly.

"For what? What are you surrendering yourself for?" Haneul asked, puzzled.

"For Kang Jurin's murder. Stop this investigation," Hangyul raised his hands towards Kim Haneul, suggesting he should be cuffed.

Haneul looked at him with anger, "Is it Chaewon who's threatening you? We both know you've not killed Jurin... what are you trying to do with this fake confession?"

"Haneul-ah... I'm just tired of living under constant suspicion of being a killer... Just arrest me and lock me inside that damn prison... what is so difficult about it? I've returned from the hellish asylum... and even if I don't survive... nobody cares," Hangyul took a deep breath, expressing the frustration of years of being labeled as a murder suspect.

Haneul pursed his lips in anger, listening to the words his friend was blurting out. He turned the car around roughly and began driving towards the base camp.

...

9 AM, Mayor Mansion

"He has started remembering his past... It could be dangerous for all of us further," Dr. Danny Park walked to and fro inside the balcony.

"Oh, come on, Danny! Stop worrying so much about it!! Kang Minseok has already ordered the department to chase behind Lee Hangyul. He will be behind bars soon, and you know right... given his current situation without the antidotes... he won't survive longer than 2-3 months," Kang Chaewon stepped down inside the balcony from her room. She stood in front of Danny Park and widened her eyes, "He would kill himself."

"What a monster you are, Chaewon... how could you be my blood sister," Danny said with a rageful face.

"Just like Park Heejin... Who is not your blood sister," Chaewon smiled at him, patting his head, leading to Danny Park laughing like a maniac. Both siblings burst into evil laughter sitting at the tea table.

"Huhh... one small mistake by our dear stepsister leading to the tragic end of her whole family... I sympathize with her with my whole heart," Dr. Danny placed his palm over his chest while controlling his laughter.

Chaewon threw a biscuit towards him as she laughed, "Stop it, Danny!! You will kill me off laughter today!"

...

5 PM, Namyangju, Seoul

Seong-ah slept inside her bedroom; the fever hit her badly as she had lost all her appetite and sleep running behind the case. She coughed loudly, and her hands searched for the water bottle near her bed, which she found empty. Slowly getting up from the bed to drink water, she reached the kitchen, tying up her messy hair in a loose bun. As she poured the water into a glass, a weird burning smell tickled her nose. She turned around if she had forgotten any vessel over the gas stove, but nothing could be found inside the kitchen.

"What is this burning smell?" She wondered as the smell became stronger, and she could see smoke entering her house through the window.

She ran towards the window and opened them wide, only to be pushed back by the burning flames of fire entering her house. A big wooden log, set on fire, hung down the terrace over the window, burning down her plants into ashes.

Seong-ah stood there looking at the fire, her eyes wide open, her legs shaking with fear as the flames engulfed the wooden log until it turned into charcoal and fell down on the road. A stone covered with paper hurled inside her house, breaking the vase on her dining table. Seong-ah picked it up, opened the crumpled letter, "RUN AWAY OR DIE NOW."

She stumbled over the dining chair and sat down on the floor, her face turned pale with shock, startled by the ringing of her cellphone inside the bedroom. Seong-ah ran inside and saw it was a video call from an anonymous number. Her old house in Damyang was displayed on the screen. Seong-ah sat down on the bed, her lips pursed tightly, still recollecting herself from the shock... but little did she know, that was nothing compared to what she was about to witness on the screen...

The bamboo forest surrounding her house... was covered with flames... The trees were burning mercilessly... the flames of fire went up to the sky... Her little house was standing amidst the forest fire, the fire reflecting off the glass windows... her mom's garden was burning down to ashes... The wooden main gate, lovingly built by her dad, was breaking apart into pieces... The whole forest was set on a huge fire...

"Aaaahhhhhhh!!!!!!!! STOP IT!!!! STOP IT NOW!!!! Don't burn my house!!! my parents' house...." Seong-ah screamed loudly, tears flowing down her eyes. She threw away her mobile on the floor and pulled her hair in rage. Seong-ah ran outside her apartment barefoot in her nightdress. She ran down on the road, waving towards every taxi she saw running over the road. Just when she was about to cross the busy road, she was pulled behind with a force; she lost her balance and fell down. Fortunately, Kim Haneul, who pulled her behind, also held her in his arms.

"Haneul.... my home... it's gone... it's all over... my forest... it's all gone.. all burnt... Haneul-ah... what am I gonna do? the last existence of my parents... all perished... I- I don't want this revenge... I don't need the revenge..." Seong-ah stuttered as she cried into her friend's arms.

Haneul hugged her tightly and patted her back, trying to calm her down, "You're burning with fever, Seong-ah... Let's just go home first." He helped her to walk and sit inside his car. Seong-ah fainted as she sat beside Haneul, still murmuring the words in her state of unconsciousness. Haneul dialed a call, "Minjae, reach Damyang. I'm sending you the location," Haneul conveyed over the phone.

...

10 PM, Yongsan

Hong Siwoo sat on the couch inside his cabin, sipping red wine and playing with an artificial cherry blossom flower stick.

"Hey, where did you find this? Such a beautiful Sakura flower..." he chuckled, looking at his Secretary Jiwon.

"My... my daughter had it decorated in her vase... she might've misplaced them into my suitcase," the secretary replied anxiously, recalling the dropped flowers in the office lobby.

"Amusing," Siwoo remarked, staring at the flowers.

The cabin door opened slowly, revealing unknown footsteps entering. Hong Siwoo smiled broadly, "Oh... you found me."

Jung Bomin stood in front of him, fists clenched tightly, anger flashing, making his face red. He ran towards Siwoo with a gun in his hand.

"You promised me not to hurt Yoon Seong-ah! You told me you were taking revenge on Kang Chaewon by destroying her family! You're a psychopath, Hong Siwoo! Why did I even believe you... why..." Bomin shouted, pointing the gun at Siwoo's chest.

"Shoot me. I said... SHOOT ME NOW!!" Siwoo smiled eerily, "You can't... why? Because you're a bloody coward. Craving for the thrill in your life? This is the thrill you deserve to experience with me, Jung Bomin." Siwoo took the revolver from Bomin's hand and pushed him away. Within a split second, he pulled the trigger and shot two bullets, breaking the glass above the woodfire cabinet. Bomin covered his ears, sitting down in fear.

"See, this is how you should live the thrill in your life... you fool... and never cry over such emotional words like 'promise' in front of me. I don't give a flying fuck about those things. I'm just quite amused by your Seong-ah noona; she has that fighting spirit in her, right?" Siwoo walked towards the fire cabinet with the flower stick in his hand. The secretary and Bomin stood there in utter shock at what unfolded before their eyes.

Siwoo threw away the cherry blossom flowers into the woodfire, letting out a sinister laughter, "How beautiful?! Hey, Jiwon-ssi, you should click a picture of that burning flower and show it to your daughter! This burning flower looks more beautiful than the flowers in her vase!" The flowers burned down to ashes, satisfying Siwoo's evil hunger as he sat down on the couch, laughing loudly.

"Bomin-ah, some trees don't flower after the withering season... you need to burn the parasitic climbers clinging over that tree before... the tree might get burnt along with those climbers... But it will bloom as soon as the spring arrives..." Siwoo leaned back on the couch, swirling the glass of wine between his fingers. The alcohol coursed through his veins, casting a spell that lifted him into an ethereal realm of satisfaction. The intoxication painted an invisible canvas, and Hong Siwoo found himself suspended in the airy tendrils of contentment.