THE DESIGN STUDIO STILL TREMBLED WITH THE TENSION THAT HUNG BETWEEN THEM. HAE-UN'S BREATH WAS SHAKY, HER HEART STILL RACING FROM HOW CLOSE JOON-HA HAD LEANED IN. THEIR FACES, JUST A BREATH APART, THEIR EYES LOCKED IN A WAR OF LONGING AND DENIAL—
SFX: BUZZZZZ BUZZZZZ (PHONE VIBRATING LOUDLY AGAINST A WOODEN TABLE)
THE SOUND SHATTERED THE MOMENT LIKE GLASS HITTING THE FLOOR. HAE-UN STIFFENED, HER EYES FLICKERING AWAY FROM HIS. SHE SLIPPED HER HAND FREE FROM HIS HOLD, GRABBING HER PHONE ALMOST TOO QUICKLY.
HER VOICE TREMBLED AS SHE ANSWERED, TURNING HER FACE AWAY FROM HIM."HELLO…?"
THERE WAS SILENCE. A VOICE ON THE OTHER END SAID SOMETHING LOW, SOMETHING ONLY SHE COULD HEAR. HER EYES FROZE, THEN HER LIPS PRESSED TIGHT.
A MINUTE PASSED. SHE TURNED, CHEEKS STILL FLUSHED, HER EYES A MIXTURE OF ANGER AND EMBARRASSMENT."…I'M LEAVING. SOMETHING URGENT CAME UP."
SHE MOVED QUICKLY, HER VOICE SHARP BUT TREMBLING UNDERNEATH, LIKE A STRING ABOUT TO SNAP."DON'T… DON'T FOLLOW ME."
JOON-HA WATCHED HER LEAVE. THE CLICK OF HER HEELS AGAINST THE TILE FADED AWAY UNTIL ONLY SILENCE REMAINED.
SFX: THUMP (HE SAT DOWN HEAVILY ON A CHAIR, HIS HANDS COVERING HIS FACE)
"DAMN IT…" HE MUTTERED, HIS VOICE LOW, ROUGH. "WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING…?"
HIS HANDS GRIPPED HIS HAIR, HIS JAW TIGHT."PULLING HER IN LIKE THAT… MAKING HER REMEMBER… I'M A FOOL."
HIS REFLECTION ON THE GLASS WALL OF THE STUDIO LOOKED BACK AT HIM—A MAN WHO CARRIED TOO MANY SCARS AND TOO MUCH SELF-HATRED. THE POWERFUL PRESIDENT OF LA FLEUR… LOOKING LIKE A LOST BOY WHO ONCE LOVED AND LOST.
SCENE SHIFT TO OUTSIDE THE OFFICE.
OUTSIDE, HAE-UN CLUTCHED HER PHONE AGAINST HER CHEST AS SHE WALKED FAST THROUGH THE NIGHT STREETS. THE CITY LIGHTS REFLECTED IN HER EYES, BUT ALL SHE FELT WAS A RUSH OF OLD FEARS AND CONFUSION.
HER HEART WOULDN'T CALM DOWN."WHY… WHY DOES HE FEEL SO MUCH LIKE HIM?" SHE WHISPERED UNDER HER BREATH. "BUT IT CAN'T BE… MIN-JAE DIED. I SAW HIM…"
SHE SHOOK HER HEAD, BUT THE TEARS SHE REFUSED TO LET FALL MADE HER VISION BLURRY.
THE PHONE CALL… IT WAS FROM HER STEPMOTHER. A SINGLE SENTENCE THAT CUT THROUGH HER."COME HOME. YOUR SISTER'S BIRTHDAY DINNER. DON'T EMBARRASS US."
HER HAND SHOOK AS SHE PUT THE PHONE AWAY. SHE HADN'T BEEN BACK TO THAT HOUSE IN YEARS. A PLACE FILLED WITH SHADOWS AND MEMORIES SHE HAD BURIED DEEP.
BUT TONIGHT, SHE FOUND HERSELF STANDING IN FRONT OF THAT VERY GATE.
FLASHBACK – CHILDHOOD AT THE HOUSE
SFX: CLANG (A METAL GATE SLAMMING SHUT)
A YOUNG HAE-UN, MAYBE TEN YEARS OLD, STOOD WITH A SCHOOL REPORT CARD IN HER HAND. HER FATHER STOOD BESIDE HER STEPMOTHER, HIS FACE IMPASSIVE.
"WHY DO YOU ONLY GET SECOND PLACE?" HIS VOICE WAS COLD.
HER STEPMOTHER SMIRKED, WRAPPING AN ARM AROUND HER OWN DAUGHTER."MY DAUGHTER GOT FIRST PLACE AGAIN. HAE-UN, MAYBE STUDY HARDER INSTEAD OF DRAWING SILLY SKETCHES ALL DAY."
HER STEPSISTER STUCK OUT HER TONGUE, WAVING HER TROPHY IN FRONT OF HAE-UN'S FACE."SEE? I'M BETTER THAN YOU."
YOUNG HAE-UN CLUTCHED HER REPORT CARD TIGHT, HER HEART ACHING."…I DID MY BEST."
BUT HER WORDS NEVER REACHED ANYONE.
PRESENT – OUTSIDE THE GATE
HAE-UN STOOD STILL, HER HAND ON THE RUSTED IRON. A DEEP SIGH ESCAPED HER."WHY AM I BACK HERE…" SHE WHISPERED.
BUT SHE PUSHED THE GATE OPEN ANYWAY.
SFX: CREEEAAAK (GATE OPENING)
SHE WALKED INTO THE YARD THAT STILL SMELLED LIKE MEMORIES SHE HATED.
HER FATHER WAS THERE FIRST, READING A NEWSPAPER. HE LOOKED UP, HIS EXPRESSION NEUTRAL."…YOU'RE HERE."
HER STEPMOTHER'S VOICE QUICKLY CUT IN, DRIPPING WITH MOCKERY."OH, WHAT A SURPRISE. THE RUNAWAY DAUGHTER RETURNS."
HER STEPSISTER, NOW DRESSED IN DESIGNER CLOTHES, SMILED CRUELLY."LOOKS LIKE YOU'VE BEEN WORKING HARD… BUT STILL ALONE, HUH?"
HAE-UN'S FISTS CURLED, BUT SHE KEPT HER VOICE STEADY."…YOU SAID IT WAS URGENT."
HER FATHER'S TONE GREW SHARP."YOUR SISTER'S BIRTHDAY PARTY IS NEAR. DON'T MAKE TROUBLE. JUST SHOW UP AND BEHAVE."
HER STEPMOTHER'S LAUGH ECHOED."YES, DON'T EMBARRASS US LIKE YOU DID WHEN YOU CHOSE TO LIVE ALONE. REMEMBER, FAMILY COMES FIRST… EVEN IF YOU DON'T."
HER CHEEKS BURNED WITH ANGER, WITH HUMILIATION. SHE WANTED TO SHOUT, TO SAY SHE DIDN'T OWE THEM ANYTHING.
BUT HER FATHER'S GAZE WAS HARD, HIS WORDS FINAL."YOU WILL COME."
SHE WANTED TO REFUSE. THE WORDS "NO" SAT ON THE TIP OF HER TONGUE.
BUT WHEN HER STEPSISTER SAID SOFTLY, "IT'S NOT LIKE SHE HAS ANYONE ELSE TO CELEBRATE WITH…"
THE CRUELTY BEHIND IT CUTS DEEPER THAN A KNIFE, AS SHE'S RUBBING SALT IN HA-EUN'S WOUNDS.
HAE-UN FELT HER STOMACH TWIST. SHE BIT HER LIP HARD, THE TASTE OF BLOOD FILLING HER MOUTH.
"…FINE. I'LL COME."
SHE TURNED ON HER HEELS, WALKING FAST TOWARD THE EXIT BEFORE THEY COULD SEE THE CRACK IN HER VOICE.
SHE BURST OUT THE FRONT GATE, HER BREATH SHAKY. HER HANDS TREMBLED AS SHE CLUTCHED HER BAG.
SFX: THUD THUD THUD (HER FOOTSTEPS QUICK ON THE PAVEMENT)
SHE RAN. SHE DIDN'T KNOW WHERE. SHE JUST RAN.
MEMORIES OF CHILDHOOD FLASHED IN HER MIND LIKE BROKEN GLASS. HER STEPSISTER IS PULLING HER HAIR. HER STEPMOTHER IS TAKING AWAY HER SKETCHBOOK. HER FATHER TURNING HIS FACE AWAY.
AND THEN—MEMORIES OF MIN-JAE. HIS SMILE, HIS HAND HOLDING HERS, THE WAY HE PROMISED, "I'LL BE YOUR FAMILY. I'LL BE YOUR HOME."
BUT THAT PROMISE WAS GONE.
HER LEGS GAVE OUT. SHE SANK TO A LONELY BENCH BY THE ROAD, THE NIGHT AIR COLD AGAINST HER SKIN.
SHE HELD HER BAG TO HER CHEST, TRYING TO BREATHE.
"WHY DO I KEEP LOSING EVERYTHING…?" HER VOICE CRACKED.
SHE STARED UP AT THE SKY. THE CITY LIGHTS BLURRED WITH THE TEARS SHE COULDN'T HOLD ANYMORE.
SFX: DROP… DROP… (TEARS HITTING THE BENCH)
FINALLY, ONE TEAR SLID DOWN HER CHEEK.
SILENT. LONELY.
A SINGLE TEAR THAT HELD YEARS OF PAIN, YEARS OF BEING UNSEEN.