The monitor beside Na-ri's hospital bed began to beep wildly. Loud, sharp, and fast.
Minji, who had been wiping the tears off Na-ri's face with a handkerchief, froze for a moment. Her eyes went wide. Then she screamed.
"Doctor! Nurse! Is anyone out there! Somebody help! She's not breathing!"
The door burst open. Nurses rushed in with a cart. A doctor followed close behind, pulling on his gloves.
"Step aside, please!" he shouted.
Minji stumbled back, her whole body shaking. She stood in a corner, covering her mouth with her hands, crying out loud. The rest of the family rushed into the room. Her aunt started sobbing, her husband holding her shoulders. Ji-a and Tae Joon stood stiffly, trying to look shocked.
"Prepare the defibrillator!" one nurse shouted.
Another nurse rolled in the machine quickly.
"Charge to 200! Clear!"
Na-ri's body jumped as they tried to bring her back.
"Still no pulse. Charging again. Clear!"
Minji cried louder. Her grandfather was weeping beside her now, his chest heaving.
They tried again. "Clear!"
Silence.
A long, flat sound came from the monitor.
The doctor looked at the clock on the wall, then turned around.
"Time of death… 5:00 AM. Tuesday, April 15th, 2025."
"No… no!" Minji screamed. "You're lying! Try again! Please!"
The grandfather had just returned. He was to go home but quickly went returned because he wasn't at ease. He wheeled his wheelchair and pushed through everyone to get to the bed.
"Na-ri... no... please," he whispered, holding her cold hand.
Her grandfather fell off his wheelchair to the floor beside the bed, tears flowing down his face. "Na-ri… my sweet Na-ri…"
---
Inside Na-ri's thoughts…
There was no more pain. No sound. Just silence.
She felt like she was floating. Not flying. Just… drifting.
Cold water surrounded her. She looked around. There was nothing—just an endless ocean. No sun. No sky. No voice. Nothing. Just cold water.
She opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out. Not even a whisper.
"Is this how it ends?" she thought. "After everything I did… is this what I get in return?"
She remembered all the times she loved with her whole heart. All the sacrifices. All the kindness.
For what?
Her husband cheated.
Her cousin betrayed her.
Her aunt even killed her.
She wanted to scream. But her voice was stuck inside her chest. Her tears was mixed with the dark water.
She closed her eyes. "Mom… dad...if you're out there… is this really it? Am I going to die like this? So naive? So stupid?"
Then she whispered into the darkness, "Please God… give me one more chance. Just one. I want to fix everything. I want to make them pay. Please… I'm not ready to go yet. Just a single chance."
---
Suddenly…
A bright flash of light appeared ahead of her in the water.
It was warm. Gentle. Peaceful.
She reached out to it.
A sound started to echo in the distance. Beep. Beep. Beep.
It got louder.
---
In her grandfather's house…
Na-ri's eyes opened.
She gasped, sitting up quickly on her bed. Her breath was heavy. Her chest rising and falling fast. Her heart was racing. Cold sweat covered her face.
She looked around.
The bed… it wasn't the hospital one. It was soft. Familiar. The walls… pink and white. Her bookshelf. Her vanity table. Her curtains with tiny cherry blossoms.
Her old room?
Her phone alarm rang beside her. She picked up and turned it off to see...
5:00 AM. Saturday, April 15th, 2023.
She dropped it in panic.
She then reached for the TV remote on the table beside her. She picked it up, her hands shaking. She turned on the television. The news was on. The date was clear at the corner of the screen.
She blinked. Once. Twice. The screen didn't change.
Her breath caught in her throat.
She touched her chest, feeling her heartbeat.
She sat there in shock. Still. Quiet.
Her lips trembled. Her fingers dug into the bedsheet.
Her mind was spinning.
Nothing made sense.
She didn't understand what was happening.
But one thing was clear.
She was… alive.