The next day, the bus ride home felt slower than usual, as if the city itself wanted Haesol to think too much. Lights blurred against the window, melting into streams of gold and blue. She leaned her head against the glass, earphones in, playlist on shuffle, yet no song could quiet the storm in her mind.
Every blink brought flashes—headlights, screams, and that moment where time had frozen. The dream. Or maybe it was not a dream at all, but a memory pretending to be one.
When the bus stopped near Han River Park, Haesol stepped off. She didn't know why—maybe she needed air, maybe peace. Or maybe something was calling her.
The river spread out quietly, rippling faintly under the moonlight. Hands shoved into her coat pockets, she walked along the path, until a faint, desperate whimper cut through the night.
"...What was that?" she muttered, turning toward the sound.
Near the lake's edge, a tiny puppy struggled in the water, fur soaked, paws flailing helplessly.
"Oh, no, no, no, don't you dare," Haesol hissed, dropping her bag and running.
The water was icy the second she stepped in, slicing through her jeans, but she didn't care. She scooped up the small creature, pressing it to her chest. The puppy shivered violently, whining softly as she climbed back onto the shore.
"Hey, hey… you're okay. You're okay, dummy."
She brushed wet hair from her face and hugged the puppy tighter. It blinked up at her, tail twitching weakly. And then it hit her—the memory.
FLASHBACK
The water. The cold. The rushing current. Another time, another place. She was in the water again, dress heavy, lungs burning. A voice called her name, urgent and full of pain: "Haesol!"
Hands reached for her, pulling her up. Another pair letting go. The world spun, chest aching. Broken images flashed—an old palace, the clash of swords, her brother's jealous shout that she didn't deserve the throne.
The push. The fall. The pain.
And then, a boy. No—a man—diving after her. His face blurred by the water, but his presence was undeniable: strong, warm, familiar. He saved her. And the darkness swallowed him whole.
---
Haesol gasped, pulling herself back to reality. The puppy whimpered softly, licking her hand.
"I… I was supposed to die," she whispered. "But he didn't let me."
She held the tiny creature closer, feeling its heartbeat press against her own. Maybe that was why she had been drawn here again—to repay what she owed. A life for a life.
The universe did not forget debts, even across lifetimes.
.....
At home, Minji was half-asleep on the couch, surrounded by snack wrappers, phone still playing VEIL's latest fancam.
"You're going to suffocate under those chips someday," Haesol said, setting the puppy gently on the floor.
Minji blinked awake, yawned. "Unnie…? You're drenched! What happened? Did it rain?"
"No," Haesol replied, shaking her coat dry. "It's a long story. I just saved this little troublemaker."
Minji gasped and jumped up. "Oh my god, it's so cute! Can we keep it?"
"Until it decides to bite you," Haesol said dryly, heading for a towel.
Ignoring her, Minji crouched to cuddle the puppy. "Unnie… look! It trusts me already!"
"I'm sure it's just too cold to fight back right now," Haesol muttered, drying her sleeves.
Minji frowned playfully. "You're mean. This is destiny, I swear. Maybe it's like… karma? A sign of good things coming your way."
Haesol couldn't help but smile faintly, though a pang of unease lingered. "Or it's just a wet dog and a mess I didn't need tonight."
Minji laughed, ignoring her sister's remark. "No, Unnie. Look at it! You saved it. That has to mean something."
Haesol crouched beside her, looking at the puppy's small, blinking eyes. There was a quiet rhythm to its breathing, a pulse she could feel against her chest. Somehow, the sensation soothed her storm of memories.
"Yes," she murmured softly, almost to herself. "Maybe it does mean something."
......
Later that night, sleep would not come. The dream looped again, clearer than ever—the water, the face, the promise she never heard but somehow remembered.
She sat by the window, puppy asleep beside her, breathing soft and steady.
"What do you want from me?" she whispered to the night. "Why am I remembering this now?"
The moonlight flickered across the water outside, like an echo of a past life—one where she was not Rin Haesol, pharmacy student, or anyone ordinary. One where she had been a princess, and someone else had not survived because of her.
Maybe this was her second chance. Maybe fate had given her time to return what she owed.
But to whom? And when?
Her phone buzzed. Yura.
> "Still awake?"
> "Yeah," Haesol replied.
> "You okay? People are still talking about the VEIL thing."
> "Let them," Haesol said quietly.
> "That's my girl," Yura replied.
Haesol smiled faintly. Even if the world whispered, she knew the truth wasn't theirs to tell.
She wasn't the girl who saved an idol. She was the girl who still didn't know who had saved her.
And maybe… soon, she would.