12. Looking Up at That Milky Way (Seokjin's Past)
Seokjin's perspective
An incident from when Seokjin was 16
I have a pretty younger sister named Kim Seo-in. Seo-in is the youngest child, so there is a 7-year age difference between us. That is why I always look after her and adore her.
"Seo-in~"
"yes?"
Shall we go to the supermarket? Oppa will buy you ice cream~
"Kyaaa, I love it! Oppa is the best!"
Seo-in is 9 years old, but to me, she looks like a baby. Because she acts like a baby and speaks like a baby. I feel like my younger sibling is the one who brought back happiness for me, an only child, so I always try to be good to her.
But then one day. Since Seo-in didn't attend an academy, I usually took her home, but just for that one day, I couldn't refuse my friends' request to hang out, so I asked Seo-in if she could go home by herself.
"Seo-in, can you go home alone just today?"
"Yeah! Of course!"
Stay safe at home~ If a bad man follows you, say "No, don't do that, stop!" and look around before crossing when the traffic light is green~
Yeah! Don't worry, go have fun~
Why did I think Seo-in would get home safely back then? I could have grabbed her again, changed my mind, and gone with her.
That day, I came home after having a great time playing with friends for the first time in a while. I entered the house in high spirits, but Seo-in was nowhere to be found. I stormed out of the house and started looking for Seo-in.
"Seo-in! Kim Seo-in! Where are you!"
"Seo-in~ It's your oppa! Your oppa, Kim Seok-jin!"
"Ugh... seriously, where did he go...?"
At that time, the lady from the snack shop who was close with my mother called.
"Hey, you're Kim Seokjin, right? Go to Bora Hospital right away!"
Your younger sibling, Seoin, was hit by a speeding car at a crosswalk and taken to the hospital!
"yes yes?"
Go on over!
At that moment, I felt my heart sink. If only I had refused when my friend asked to hang out today, or if I had gone with Seoin, this wouldn't have happened. Since my parents were busy, I took a taxi to the hospital using the allowance I had in my pocket.
"Um... are you Ms. Kim Seo-in's guardian?"
"Yes... that's true, but..."
I am sorry, but... Ms. Kim Seo-in passed away on June 29, 2009, due to excessive bleeding...
"What? Where is Seoin right now! I'm asking where he is!"
I am in operating room number 5.
"Seo-in! Kim Seo-in!"
Seo-in lay motionless on the hospital bed. If only I had gone with her! If only things had been just like any other day! Seo-in wouldn't be lying in this hospital room.
"Seo-in... wake up... even now... we have to eat more ice cream with oppa... *sob*... *sniff*..."
Burdened by the sense of responsibility for failing to protect my only sibling, I suffered from depression for about four years afterward. Ultimately, the culmination of my depression was a suicide attempt. I had gone to a bridge near my house, and just as I was sighing and about to jump, a student was standing right beside me, seemingly attempting suicide as well. I don't know why I had that thought, but I felt I had to stop that student.
"hey!"
"yes yes?"
What are you doing right now?
I gave that student some advice. I wasn't exactly in a position to do so myself, though... After that, I took over the Magic Shop my father used to run. Originally, Seo-in would have taken over the Magic Shop with me. Still, after inheriting the shop and traveling here and there to the destinations it designated, I managed to forget Seo-in, at least a little.
It was one day. The destination for this Magic Shop trip was the neighborhood where I used to live. However, I had a feeling that I had seen this customer somewhere before. That customer was undoubtedly the girl who had attempted suicide back then. Although much time had passed, she still looked exactly the same, unchanged. And because she resembled my younger sister so much, I think I felt an even stronger desire to treat her well. Kim Yeo-ju—there was something special about this customer.