Chapter 5 (part 3)> It's Too Late...

*Boolkottnooli River, 10.15 p.m...

Kibum jumps out of the cab with a speed of a lighting. he shoves 50$ to the driver and turns...

Driver: Ya, kid! ur balance!
Kibum: Keep it!! (runs away)
Driver: (shakes head) Cocky rich boy! (drives away)

Kibum runs towards the river. when he get there, he can only sees a few food vendors packing their stall up. he walks while looking to the right and to the left. trying to find EunShi. he walks along the river but there's no one there. his heart sinks. he knows it's too late for him but he still hopes that EunShi is still there. he looks around again, trying to find a glimpse of her...

Ahjussi: Hey, kid, looking for someone?
Kibum: Huh? Ne...
Ahjussi: There won't be anyone left. the show ended an hour ago. u came too late, son...
Kibum: (sighs) Arayo... but, i'm sure she stills waiting for me... uh, i guess... (looks around)
Ahjussi: Aigoo... a girl?? hmmm... (thinks)
Kibum: Did u see anyone, ahjussi??
Ahjussi: I think i saw a girl standing alone under that tree (points). she's one of the people that left the river last...
Kibum: That tree?? um, how is she?? her looks i mean...
Ahjussi: Hmmm... she's kinda tall...
Kibum: Taller than most girls??
Ahjussi: (nods) Ne...
Kibum: How about her hair??
Ahjussi: Uh, i don't remember...
Kibum: (sighs) Any other sign??
Ahjussi: Um... if i'm not mistaken, she's wearing a red scarf... yes, yes! she's wearing a red scarf!
Kibum: Red scarf?? (looks at his) like this???
Ahjussi: Uh? (looks) ne, it looks similar to that...
Kibum: EunShi! which tree, sir?
Ahjussi: That one... (points)
Kibum: Kamsahamnida, ahjussi! (bows and starts to run)
Ahjussi: Ya, kid!!
Kibum: (turns) Huh?
Ahjussi: (gives a hot bun) It's the last one, take it...
Kibum: Uh? ah, gwenchanayo...
Ahjussi: Take it... u look cold...
Kibum: Ah, ne... (takes) kamsahamnida again, ahjussi... (bows and runs towards the tree)
Ahjussi: (shakes head) Kids these day... (pushes his cart away)

Kibum runs towards the tree where the ahjussi showed him just now. just like he said, no one's there. his legs start to wobble. his chest feels heavy and he breathe heavily. slowly, he walks around the tree. trying not to cry. but, as he walks, he sees something moving with wind. something. like a piece of cloth waving according to the wind. something that was tied to the fence. he approaches the fence and... he fell on his knees. his hands start shaking and his eyes start to blur. at last, tears fall on his cheeks. the 'thing' that was tied to the fence was a scarf. a scarf that similar to his. and he knows who's scarf is that. seeing it tied to the fence like that, he knows, no, he's sure that it's too late. there's nothing that can he do now. nothing. it's too late. too late for everything. it's over. really over. and just by thinking about the word 'over', he cries. and cries...

*Lee's House...

Onew, who's sweating and breathing heavily, walks slowly into the lawn. Ahn who's waiting for him at the stairs rushes to him...

Ahn: Oppa! gwenchana yo??
Onew: (sighs) Ne... (wipes his sweat)
Ahn: U don't find her??
Onew: No... (shakes head) i looked everywhere... but there's no sign of her... (sits)
Ahn: (wipes Onew's sweat with her handkerchief) Where is she.... (teary eyes)
Onew: Gomawo... molla...
Ahn: Shall we call the police??
Onew: (shakes head) We can't... we can only report a missing person after 24 hours...
Ahn: (sighs) Uh...
Onew: (stands) I'm gonna look for her again...

Suddenly...

Minho: I'll help...
Onew&Ahn: Uh??
Minho: (stands in front of the gate) I'll help u look for her...
Onew&Ahn: Minho!!
Onew: Uh, u know where she went to??
Minho: (shakes head) I don't, but i'll look for her...
Ahn: U will??
Minho: (nods) Ne... she's, she's my classmate after all... (looks away)
Onew: Thanks... (approaches and pat his shoulder)
Minho: No problem, sunbae... then, i'll go now... (ride his bike)
Onew: Ne... (turns) I'll look for her too...
Ahn: (nods) Ne... careful, oppa...
Onew: (bitter smile) Ne... u too... (pats her head and walks away)

Ahn sighs again. just like before, she stands and sits, walks and stops, across the lawn, jumps off the stairs, leans against the pole and waits like mad. seriously, waiting is so frustrating. she hates waiting but still, not more than EunShi. that girl hates waiting million times than she did. suddenly, Ahn realizes something. somehow, the word 'wait' and 'EunShi' really blends together. then, she remembers their conversation about the fireworks festival in Boolkottnooli River four days ago...

Ahn: (pluck fingers) Boolkottnooli!!! (grabs her phone and call Onew) Oppa! come home now!
Onew: Huh? Wae??? is EunShi home??
Ahn: Ani, but i think i know where she went to!!
Onew: Eodi?? tell me, i'll go there right this instant!
Ahn: No... u have to come home first! plus, i think it's ended already!
Onew: Mwo?? Ahn, i really don't get it! just tell me, where did she went to??
Ahn: Uh, she went to Boolkottnooli River!
Onew: Boolkottnooli? in Hana??
Ahn: Um!
Onew: I'll go there!
Ahn: Oppa!!
Onew: Mwo?
Ahn: Told u so, it's over... the festival ended, (look at her watch) an hour ago!
Onew: Then??
Ahn: Maybe she's at the subway...
Onew: (tap his forehead) Babo!! why didn't i think of the subway??? i'll go there right away!
Ahn: Um... ok then...
Onew: Ne... (hangs up)

Ahn sits back and put her hands together. she really wish that EunShi is there...

Ahn: Just come home already, Eun...

In the meantime, Minho, who's on his bike, tours around the town from one road to another. he's really looking for her. but, just like Onew, he didn't encounter or see her anywhere. as he rides down the neighborhood, he thought of something. last Saturday, when he passed the park, in the middle of rain, he saw her standing at one corner of the ShioN's Park. she looked like she's in some kind of problem that dragged her to stand in the middle of a heavy rain like that. he told himself that, it's not wrong to try his luck there. even though Onew said he already looked for her there, she might be hiding somewhere in there or just got there. so, he rides towards the park and bam! just like he thought, she's there.

But, she's not actually in the park, she's just walking on the pathway. one hand holding her bag, and another hand on the wall of the park. she's walking slowly, really slow, as if she's just learn how to walk. he stops his bike at one corner and watch every step that she takes. as he watch, his heart sinks. she looks miserable, pathetic, and heartbroken. as if she's just get dumped. she looks really sad and barely able to walk. her whole body is shaking and he can see that by the way she's walking. as she gets closer, his heart crumbles and hurts. as if it have been torn with thousand of needles or pricks. as if someone has stab it a knife, over and over again. she really looks pathetic, till the point that he feels like running to her and hugs her tightly so that he doesn't need to see her tears that falls onto her cheek.

At one point, she stops. Minho starts to feel uneasy. 'what she's gonna do?' he thought. slowly, she leans against the wall and sighs. she puts her head on her hand that's on the wall and closes her eyes. he can hear she's weeping sadly. and once again, his heart breaks. he can't stand it anymore. and, he got his chance to runs to her when she slowly slides down and falls on her knees. seeing that, Minho quickly ditch his bike and runs to her. he grabs her pulls her into his arms...

Minho: (hugs) Why're u like this?? wae?? wae??
EunShi: Uh? (weeps)
Minho: Waeyo EunShi-ah, wae?? (hugs tightly) ireohke hajiman... hajiman...
EunShi: (still weeping) Nal bonaejwo... (weeps)
Minho: Andwae! sirheosseo! i won't! i don't want to!
EunShi: Let me, let me go...
Minho: Not until u stop holding back...
EunShi: I'm, i'm gonna soak ur shoulder in tears... so, let me go...
Minho: I don't care... i'm lending it to u now... just, just do whatever u want...
EunShi: No...
Minho: Just do it!

EunShi's head falls onto Minho's shoulder. from her silent weeping, she starts to cry, crying really hard. she can't take it anymore. no more holding back. and, she just cry, and cry, on his shoulder. until his coat was soaking wet, she still cry, and cry. but, he didn't complaint, nor say anything, he didn't even told her to stop. in fact, every time she cried so hard, he'll just tighten his hug, and just let her cry even though his heart breaks every time he heard her sobs....