Bye-Bye

Side Story 3-3

Translated by Springlila

Edited by Springlila

Choi Sung-hoon decided to buy the villa. Because I said I want to come here again next year. He went to the grumpy manager and promised to finish the contract as soon as possible. Sung-hyun and I waved from the cliff-side hotel.

Could he see us? I hope he could see us.

Sung-hyun and I were going to ride in an ATV along the sandy beach. It was a two-seater, so Sung-hyun was in charge of the steering wheel.

I was waiting because I couldn’t leave until the previous team had left and returned, but people kept looking to this side. This was because our Sung-hyun was naked, and his body was very good, with veins protruding.

I urged him to go get a shirt as soon as possible. Sung-hyun grumbled and eventually went to get it.

Meanwhile, I moved to a location under the shade of a tree to avoid attention, but a gangster that looked like Bettas approached me and began arguing. Foreigners with yellow hair kept grabbing their arms and stroking their shoulders while speaking in a foreign language.

As I was doing all the English swear words I knew because I was in a bad mood, Sung-hyun appeared in a shirt with the sea on it. He punched the chin of the foreign guy who was holding my wrist and shouted in very fluent English, causing the foreigners to back away.

“What’s the deal with those cretins? Seo-yu hyung, are you okay?”

When Sung-hyun noticed the red handprints on my wrists, he cursed them in English. Why were you swearing in English when it just makes me feel isolated?

“You should show this to my brother. Get your phone out as soon as possible. I’ll take a photo.”

“Are you insane? Your brother will be charged with murder.”

“It’s fine. There is nothing that can’t be done with only three people.”

What was this kid talking about…

I broke out in a cold sweat at the terrifying joke.

It was our turn after arguing about whether or not to take a picture. Initially, the course ran on the sandy beach and returned after passing through an unpaved slope.

I couldn’t smile when the ATV began to move and ran on the sandy beach in the cool wind and entered the unpaved slope.

Damn, what was I thinking when I said I was going to ride this?

It was a rough slope with only one rusty guardrail holding out. If we slip a little, we’ll go straight to the sea…

“Hey, be careful! Slowly!”

“Wahaha, Hyung. It’s so much fun. Right!”

“You punk, go slowly!”

“Huh? Go faster? Okay!”

I shouted loudly, but this crazy bastard Choi Sung-hyun screamed back and stepped on the accelerator even more.

I would never ride an ATV if this bastard drives again.

It was a time when I hoped that time would pass quickly while holding on to the safety bar. Suddenly, something popped out of the grass on the left. It seemed to be a wild animal, but Sung-hyun was surprised and lost his grip on the steering wheel.

“Uh, uh…”

Kiiik.

There was a sharp sound of tires sliding. After colliding with a rock hidden in the grass on the corner, the ATV car jumped over a low guardrail. Then it collided with a rock in the middle of the ocean.

With the sound of crashing waves, water splashed all over the body.

Cough.

I had a cough and a dizzy feeling in my head.

I blinked my eyes open.

The ATV was submerged in the sea from the front with one rear wheel hanging on a rock.

I couldn’t believe if this was really real.

The fact that my entire body was wet and the ATV was hanging was like a nightmare that would fade as soon as I closed and opened my eyes. The sea was directly in front of me, and I could hear the waves crashing.

“Uh, Seo, Seo-yu Hyung.”

However, the moment I heard that voice, my distant mind was jolted awake.

Sung-hyun was terrified and called me. Sung-hyun was looking for his family. I bit down hard on the inside of my mouth.

I have to come to my senses

It was never an illusion. It was now stopped by rocks, but the ATV was about to fall into a rough sea of unknown depth, and we’d soon be unable to breathe.

Unlike back then, it was fortunate that the ATV had no windows or doors.

First of all, I unfastened Sung-hyun’s seat belt, which was he struggling with, and then untied mine. I clearly remember hearing the description of the life jacket, and when I looked it up, one was caught on the protruding part of the ATV and was torn, while the other was in good condition.

Sung-hyun must have been terrified, but he spread his arms and put on a life vest as I instructed.  I was so proud of his appearance.

“Would you like to take it out from the foot slowly? Support it with a rock in a location where you can reach it.”

“O, okay.”

The moment Sung-hyun moved his right foot, the ATV shook violently. Sung-hyun screamed and shrugged again.

“I think I’m going to fall. I can’t move.”

“Choi Sung-hyun, you are wearing a life jacket. You can swim. You can ride a surfboard as well. Right?”

“Hyung, hyung…”

“Let’s move slowly again. Take your feet off and put your hands on the rocks. I will support you.”

I calmed Sung-hyun, who was crying, and made him move again. Sung-hyun moved as slowly and cautiously as he could, but the ATV creaked.

The ATV, which was tangled on a rock, continued to sink into the sea. The longer we waited in fear, the worse it got for us. I wanted to persuade him to do it soon as possible.

“It’s okay. Slowly, slowly. You are doing well.”

However, the opposite words came out of my mouth. I wasn’t aware of it either. Sung-hyun kept crying, and I bit my lips until blood came out.

Finally, when Sung-hyun placed both arms on the protruding rock, I used all of my strength to push Sunghyun from bottom to top. He was much bigger and heavier than me, and I have no idea where such strength came from.

The ATV slipped down as soon as Sung-hyun climbed up the rock as if it had been waiting for this moment.

I was wondering if I could get out of this raging wave.

I closed my eyes as I gazed at the approaching blue sea.

I wished Choi Sung-hoon was next to me but at the same time, I felt fortunate that he was not next to me. There were so many things I wanted to say to him. I love you, I want you to live the happiest life with Jae-hoon, don’t blame Sung-hyun, I was so happy to have you…

It would be nice if I could say it one last time.

I lost my consciousness at the end of that thought.

Then when I opened my eyes, there was a familiar image in a blurry view.

Water was dripping from his hair, and his lips trembled with fear. His eyes were filled with all kinds of emotions.

I tried to call out Choi Sung-hoon’s name, but my lips were stiff.

“…Seo-yu…!”

Choi Sung-hoon hurriedly grabbed my shoulder. I lost my consciousness again, and I was not sure if I lost consciousness after telling him I love him or not.

* * * 

It was the fishermen passing by in the plump boat who rescued me, and Choi Sung-hoon was the person who performed CPR and artificial respiration on me for 40 minutes without stopping before the rescuers arrived, although I had already drunk too much water and was not breathing.

When we got into the accident, he said he had just arrived at the ATV departure point after purchasing the villa. If Choi Sung-hoon arrived a little late, I would most likely…

As a result, I survived unharmed with the exception of a sprained ankle (which I was unaware of) caused by the ATV slipping and a rib that broke as a result of the CPR, but he was so furious. He was about to annihilate almost all ATVs in the world. The part that made him particularly angry was why I gave my life jackets to others.

Sung-hyun wasn’t even any other person…

Choi Sung-hoon seemed to think that I did not desperately try to live. In the end, seeing him so angry, I burst into tears because I felt wronged and saddened. Choi Sung-hoon saw my tears and hugged me.

“I don’t want to live in this world without you. Always keep in mind that you must live. Don’t even consider making a sacrifice for someone else. You must be alive, Seo-yu ssi.”

It was like making a promise to oneself.

Sung-hyun paid a visit only after Choi Sung-hoon’s anger had subsided. Sung-hyun entered the room sniffling. He sobbed so hard that his once-healthy and confident eyes turned into crucian carp.

I looked at Sung-hyun’s swollen eyes and then stared at Choi Sung-hoon. I was going to scold Choi Sung-hoon until I cried if Sung-hyun was crying because he was scolding him. I wasn’t sure why an older brother couldn’t comfort his younger brother who was only 23 years old maturely…

When I asked firmly if he had scolded Sung-hyun, Choi Sung-hoon answered no with an expressionless face. I asked Sung-hyun again when Choi Sung-hoon wasn’t around, but he shook his head as he widened his eyes and said no as well. He seems to have cried simply because he was sad and going through a difficult time.

I comforted Sung-hyun by patting him on the back like an adult. But right after that, when Choi Sung-hoon arrived with Jae-hoon in his arms, who was crying sadly, I cried as well. As soon as I saw Jae-hoon crying, I wanted to beat myself for thinking of dying and leaving this child.

When I was crying so hard, I got a video call from Choi Sung-hoon’s parents, and it was unfortunate that the image of a tearful Omega had hardened…

I was hospitalized in the city for one day and then transferred to a hospital in Seoul the next day.

We returned to the beach where we had spent ten days before going back. Choi Sung-hoon didn’t like it, but I begged him to change his mind.

The sea was still blue and beautiful as if nothing had happened.

As I gazed at the sparkling blue waves reflected in the sunlight, I suddenly realized.

If I didn’t get out of that sea… There would be no such thing as a ‘beautiful sea’ for Choi Sung-hoon in the future.

He would have taken the beautiful sea away from him forever.

I was relieved that didn’t happen.

“This vacation would never be forgotten.”

I whispered to Choi Sung-hoon, who was pushing the wheelchair, but he was blunt and sarcastic.

“It would be. It would be a vacation I want to forget.”

“That’s not what I meant. I was talking about that time… At that time…”

When I fell into the sea… I thought I wanted to see Jae-hoon and Choi Sung-hoon one more time. I wanted to die after seeing Choi Sung-hoon once more.

I wanted to talk to him. Don’t be too sad even if I die, forget about me and live happily. That was something I wanted to say.

And I thought of my older brother.

…Seo-yeon Hyung.

When I pushed Sung-hyun. When I pushed Sung-hyun up with a force that even I couldn’t comprehend…

“I pushed his back and thought a little bit of what my brother had done… I thought I had figured it out.”

He was able to get out right away after pushing me out, but he didn’t come out for a long time. Was he attempting to save our parents, or was his final goodbye too long… I couldn’t ask now, but…

I complained a lot to my brother, who had his eyes closed, about why he forced me to live alone and why he saved me.

Now I understand.

That was my older brother’s thought when he pushed me out at the time.

At the very least, vaguely… I could understand.

“…Seo-yu ssi.”

Choi Sung-hoon walked in front of me. He sat on one knee on the sand and looked me in the eyes without hesitation. His face was filled with a range of emotions, and the love in his eyes was unmistakable.

Because I came back to life then. Thanks to my older brother for saving me, thanks for pushing me on the back with all his might.

I became to be able to love, and he became to be able to love me as well.

I was able to live a happy life with this person.

At that time… He saved me and I could live my life the way my older brother wished.

“I love you,” he whispered. I whispered to him that I loved him as well.

We kissed against the beautiful view of the sea.