SɪYᴇᴏɴ PᴏV

It was cold. Freezing. I was lying on something hard and felt something on my arm.

Before I could do anything, I started coughing and felt myself being turned onto my side by someone.

What happened? Where was I?

When I opened my eyes, I saw the wooden planks of the jetty in front of me again. What...?

Someone patted my back so I could spit out all the water I had swallowed.

My throat was on fire and my head wouldn't stop pounding. My eyes hurt too, so I squeezed them shut again.

After I finished coughing, someone rolled me back onto my back.

I wanted to move, but a hand grabbed my shoulder. I groped my way to that hand and grabbed the wrist.

I still couldn't open my eyes, so I didn't know who it was. I managed to remove the hand from my shoulder and get into a sitting position.

I realized I was shaking, but I wasn't cold anymore. The person threw a jacket over my shoulders.

It took a while before I was able to open my eyes again and look at this person.

As I did so, my heart stopped for a moment. Minji!?

She was soaking wet, her bangs were sticking to her face, she was shaking too. But she smiled.

This girl was too positive for the world. I suspected she had never had any bad experiences, and if she had, she hid it well.

She got up and held out her hand, still grinning. I didn't know what to do.

I didn't know if she just saved my life or made it worse. And above all, I didn't know how she found me.

I just looked back at the river. And then a lot of things became clear to me.

She had jumped into the river herself. She had risked her own life to save me. But why? She had no reason for it.

She did it anyway. And that had to mean that a person cared about me, even though that person barely knew me.

"Well, I don't know what you're up to, but I definitely won't leave you here."

I looked back at Minji. She hadn't lowered her hand and was still looking at me the same way she had before.

"I'm oka-"

"No you are not. Either you walk yourself or I carry you. But you are not staying here."

As I slowly stood up, she took my backpack and grabbed my shoes.

Now that I was standing, I started shaking again. My vision got blurry.

Minji put my shoes, which by the way were already two sizes too small, in front of me and gestured for me to put them on, which I did, frustrated.

Aren't you allowed to jump into the river without her being there? She was felt everywhere...

She held out her hand again and I hesitantly took it. She began to pull me across the jetty, away from the river, away from my salvation.

I'm sorry, mom.

I looked back again.

I couldn't think about breaking away because she was just too strong for a wreck like me.

I just followed her weak-kneed to a small house at the end of the next street that had a perfect view of the Hangang River.

As she entered the house, an elderly woman with a tight bun approached us. She looked totally upset.

"Minji! Where have you been?" She said and hugged her, ignoring that she was soaking wet and still holding my hand.

I didn't like something about it. My heart began to ache slightly as I remembered my mother.

We had about the same bond as these two. I could feel the tears welling up but thankfully managed to hold them back.

Before I knew it, Minji was pulling me across the house to what appeared to be the bathroom.

It was huge. No, not the biggest, but more than twice the size of the one at my house.

Minji pushed me down so I was sitting on the toilet.

"I'm going to get you some clothes now, then you're going to take a shower."

I was about to say something when she interrupted me again: "No arguments."

I just nodded and she left the room. I started looking around.

The floor was covered with anthracite-colored tiles, the walls were plain white.

Across from me was a small, white bathroom cabinet with a small first-aid kit hanging above it.

Next to the closet was a washing machine, next to it was the shower.

Right next to the toilet was the sink with a large mirrored cabinet above it. A towel rail hung on the wall between the shower and sink.

The door opened again and Minji walked in, a stack of clothes in hand, smiling.

She put the clothes on the bathroom cabinet and took out a towel from it, put it on it, then turned to me.

"Then I'll let you. When you're done, just put your things in the washing machine, my room is when you come upstairs, the door is at the end of the hall." She said and went to the door. "Take your time. I think you need them now." With that, she disappeared.

I sat there for a while, not knowing what to do next.

I didn't want to take a shower here. But there seemed to be no way out, so I got up with a sigh, locked the door after discovering the key and went to the mirror to look at myself in it.

My eyes were bright red, my lip was split and there was also a small scratch on my cheek. In short: I just looked like shit.

I got a mild dizzy spell again, so I bowed my head and waited for it to pass.

Then I slowly began to remove my hoodie, which was taped to my body, and look at my scars on both arms.

Was it worth it?

Sneaking into the bathroom at night, stealing my dad's razor blades from the closet, and gradually slicing my skin just to dull the mental pain?

No, in the end it didn't change anything. Not even in the slightest.

I was disgusted of my body. Who would be proud to have a body covered in scars with ribs unhealthily showing? No one, I know.

I turned away from the mirror and began to strip completely out of my clothes and step into the shower, still reluctantly.

But when the warm water flowed over my body, I realized that I needed it again.

And again I thought about Minji.

Why was she doing all this? Why did she save me? Why was she so nice to me and why did she offer me a shower and new clothes?

Was she just like that? Did she do that often? Had she ever done this before?

I felt like she could understand people without talking to them, if you know what I mean?

She was caring.

But the biggest question I asked myself was why would she put her own life in danger to save a person like me.

She had no reason for it, could have just let me drown, but she hadn't.

I didn't deserve this.

I'm sorry mom.

When I was done showering, I dried off and put on socks.

I hesitated about the rest. Wasn't it a bit weird putting on someone else's underwear?

But I didn't have a choice and I didn't want to put my wet clothes back on, so I had to.

I was glad that the things fit me, because otherwise I would have a problem.

The outfit she chose for me was gray pajamas with a wolf pictured on the top. I really felt like she could read my mind.

After I was completely dressed, I put the wet clothes in the washing machine and left the bathroom.

I stopped in front of the door, somewhat hesitant, overwhelmed by the size of the house. Well, anyway, it was big by my standards.

It was a beautiful house, brightly furnished, and what most distinguished it from my apartment was that it was clean.

I looked around. To my right was the living room, it had no door.

Across from the bathroom was a door that read JAEHYUN in colorful letters.

On the left was another door at the end of the corridor, next to it began a staircase that wound upwards in a 180° turn.

I cautiously padded towards it and slowly went upstairs.

But no sooner had I rounded the bend than I was so startled by a bark that I bumped my back against the railing, straight to a newer bruise.

I hissed and ran my hand to my back, biting my lower lip.

The dog kept barking, at least until the door at the back of the hallway slammed open, Minji stormed out and called out the dog's name.

Which then obediently came over to her and sat down, tail wagging, probably hoping for a treat.

Minji ignored it and came over to support me.

Not only did my back hurt, but my foot started hurting again.

With Minji's help, I hobbled into her room, more bad than fine, where she sat me on her bed.

"That dog sometimes," she complained about Cherry, the dog's name.

Then she got up and brought the little white dog into the room before closing the door.