Chapter 4 (2/2)

But, whenever that happened, the raw emotions he felt during the dream rushed in and brutally crushed them all.

He then recalled the events of making Yu Seon-Hwah cry in the morning. Then, another powerful wave of emotions came cras.h.i.+ng down, enough to make him absolutely dizzy.

….A son of a b*tch….

”No….”

The beer can slipped out of his hand and landed on the ground, spilling the golden liquid within.

‘Why did I do that?’

The youth hid his face away in shame. He put strength on all of his fingers to crazily scratch at his face.

‘Just why did I do something like that?!’

He shouldn’t have done that. He shouldn’t have said those things.

”G.o.dd*mn it….”

His heart felt like it was tearing into million pieces. Instead of dissipating from his consciousness, those emotions he felt during the dream ingrained themselves even deeper into his psyche. The emotions of regret felt beyond bitter as it ruthlessly cut at his heart; his eyes became warm and moist from the pain.

Now he understood the truth. The him now, him after losing the ability to ‘see’ green, was just a worthless b*stard with no redeeming qualities whatsoever.

‘If only I never had that stupid ability to begin with!!’

The moment he acknowledged this fact….

In that moment, Seol could feel the persistent dregs of pride being cleanly swept out of his system.

”Keu… huhhuhuh….”

Suddenly, a low chuckle broke out from his lips. Slowly, it grew louder and louder, loud enough to burst open his lungs. Gradually, though…. the laughter became pained sobs in the end.

”Sob…. I’m, so sorry….”

He felt remorseful for everything he did. He felt tight-chested.

”I’m sorry, Seon-Hwah….”

Today, this grown up youth cried his heart out like a newborn baby.

‘It’s…. it’s better to die than living like this.’

He had been living like garbage. He had badly affected the lives of everyone who cared about him. Just how disappointed were they? Just how badly did he hurt them with his stupid actions? Just like what his little sister told him, it might have been better to take his own life for everyone else in the long run.

Seol slowly stood up from his spot. The slowly flowing river water seemed so alluring right about now.

He walked up to it in a trance, before looking down at the river. His still flowing teardrops fell on the surface, creating small ripples.

And then, his subtly trembling legs stepped into the cold water, all the while he fiercely glared at the river.

It was then.

Suddenly, the colour of the river changed.

From the area where Seol’s feet was - or, more specifically, from the ripples created by his legs, ‘green’ slowly permeated outwards.

It was as if someone let a drop of paint fall into clear water. And then, the colour gradually spread out. The forgotten colour, the long-lost light, spread out to everywhere in a hurry.

Not only did it not stop at the river’s edge, it spread over the support pillars as well, and eventually, to the rest of the bridge. The spot he’d been sitting wallowing in guilt just now was next, and then, even to the rest of the sky.

The whole world was dyed in green, just like back when he was a little kid.

Seol could only look on at this riot of dancing green colour occuring everywhere with a pair of teary eyes. He couldn’t believe what was happening here all of a sudden.

”This, this is….”

Seol stood there like a thunder-struck man for a long time, before he consciously let go of his concentration. The world regained their original colours right away. When he concentrated again, the green colour returned.

His ability….

”….It came back?”

Just like how it disappeared so abruptly all those years ago.

”It, it really came back?!”

Then, just as abruptly, it came back.

”But, but why?!”

He tried so hard to restore his ability in the past. The sense of loss he felt that day when it was gone couldn’t be described in mere words.

Regardless, just what caused it to activate again?

Then, he recalled the mysterious dream one more time.

Now that he thought about it, the man in his dreams also used the same ability as his.

Seol desperately tried to recall the beginning of the dream now.

”………”

But soon enough, he cautiously determined that there couldn’t be a connection here. No matter how hard he mulled over it, the whole thing didn’t make any logical sense at all.

Maybe, his subconscious desire to regain his lost ability was the trigger that reactivated it. This was actually more realistic and easier to swallow.

‘But… wait.’

However, on the flip side, that dream was indeed a strangely realistic one. Even the beginning was with the man sitting on the riverbanks of Tancheon, lamenting on his life choices while drinking beer.

Just like right now.

It was then.

As Seol fell deeper into his new-found confusion, he could hear the distinct knockings of high heels. .h.i.tting the stones lining the ground.

Hearing that strangely rhythmical gait, his nerves became taut. His gaze automatically s.h.i.+fted to the origin of the sound. And there, Seol could definitely see it.

Out of everywhere still dyed in green, the s.h.i.+mmering light was gradually fading from one area.

It was to the direction of the approaching high heels.

< 04.=”” march=”” 16th,=”” 10:30=”” pm=”” (1)=””> Fin.