This part was continued from the previous final chapter of dear heart ...
In a quiet countryside hospital, where the air was still and the days drifted like autumn leaves, Miso and Noon worked side by side. Their paths converged on a fateful afternoon when an ambulance arrived with two mysterious patients. Snow and Chalee, the two souls bound together by fate, had been rescued from a haunting accident, though their savior vanished into the backdrop of their tragedy.
As noon broke, Miso recognized the urgency in their condition and guided them through the necessary treatments, tending to each wound with care. Hours passed like silent prayers, and soon the truth unraveled before them — Chalee was okay, a miracle in itself, but Snow's world had been shattered. Inside her brain, an unseen wound harbored a relentless threat: the possibility of memory loss.
Noon, with a heart that beat for another's pain, hurried to show the neuro specialist the distressing scan. The verdict was like a shadow casting over a sunny day — Snow might suffer from post-traumatic amnesia, her memories a fragile tapestry possibly torn apart, the missing pieces unknown until she woke.
Two hours later, Chalee stirred from his own weary battle. Opening his eyes, he found Kavin and Minju, their faces etched with sorrow, hovering like guardians of bad news.
"Where is Snow?"
The question escaped Chalee's lips, a desperate plea for the one he loved.
Kavin's face fell further, his eyes avoiding Chalee's.
"Chalee, about her—"
But Minju, unable to let Kavin bear the burden alone, interrupted,
"Snow wasn't found at the place where they found you."
Chalee's heart raced.
"An hour ago she was with me, holding my arm, smiling. How can you say she disappeared? Stop kidding and bring her here!"
"Chalee," Kavin's voice broke, "it's true. She wasn't at the accident spot."
Determined to find his wife, despite his frailty, Chalee tried to rise. Needles tugged at his skin, saline bottles a cruel reminder of his own condition. Yet he struggled, pain transforming his strength into a distant memory. Kavin rushed to help him sit back down, while Minju fetched the doctor.
The doctor's silence was a deliberate dance, avoiding Chalee's questions about Snow, steering conversations away like a ship in troubled waters. Discharged after 24 hours, Chalee returned home with Kavin, but the solace of familiar surroundings only deepened his torment.
Kavin, with a gentle pat on Chalee's shoulder, tried to bring light to his darkness.
"We've filed a petition to find Snow. Don't worry, they'll find her soon."
Left alone in the echo of his thoughts, Chalee's mind replayed the accident, the loss, the unbearable silence where Snow's laughter used to be. Tears streamed down his face, silent as snowflakes, a testament to his undying love.
Suddenly, a voice as sweet as a dream resonated from the kitchen,
"Seonbae, why won't you help me with this? We'll be late for dinner."
Chalee, heart pounding, rushed to the kitchen, but it was empty. Only shadows and memories welcomed him. Collapsing back on the sofa, he covered his eyes, succumbing to a restless sleep. In his dreams, visions of Snow haunted him — she was being dragged away, calling out to him, but his limbs were heavy, his cries unheard as rain began to pour, mirroring his tears.
Waking up from the nightmare, Chalee's determination hardened. He couldn't bear missing her, knowing she might be out there. He drove to the accident site, desperate for clues. A kind couple at a nearby resort mentioned a van, a girl being lifted, and driven away. Chalee's heart leaped with a mix of fear and hope.
Following the couple's directions, he found an abandoned car with Snow's perfumed handkerchief inside. His suspicion of abduction solidified. Pushing deeper into the woods, he discovered a hidden village and an unfamiliar hospital. His instincts urged him inside, to the reception.
"Excuse me, have you seen this girl?" Chalee showed the receptionist a photo of Snow.
Recognition flickered in her eyes, but before she could respond, a phone call interrupted. "Yes, sir... No, sir, I won't... Yes, sir." The words were a betrayal.
The receptionist's demeanor changed. "I'm sorry, sir. I was mistaken. She's not here."
Chalee, undeterred, left only in appearance. He knew Snow was near, a truth his soul clung to. After hours of waiting, his heart leaped as he saw Miso and Noon wheeling Snow out. There she was, his Snow, but her eyes were different, distant, lost.
Rushing to her, Chalee's fury and love collided. He kicked Noon away, his heart breaking at Snow's confusion. "Snow, it's me. Let's go home."
As Chalee's eyes locked onto Snow, he hastened towards her with an urgency that seemed to defy time itself. His footsteps echoed through the air, a rhythmic beat that synchronized with the pounding of his heart.
Noon, sensing the intensity of the moment, attempted to intervene, but Chalee's determination proved unyielding. With a swift kick, he sent Noon stumbling back, the sound of their collision a faint whisper in the wind.
Miso, taken aback by the sudden turn of events, opened her mouth to speak, but Chalee's piercing gaze silenced her.
Snow, bewildered and lost, stood frozen, her thoughts a jumbled maze of questions.
"Who is this man, with eyes that burn like embers? Why does he stir within me a sense of familiarity, like a forgotten melody? And what is this place, where memories seem to hide in the shadows?"
But Snow's gaze drifted towards Miso, her eyes searching for answers in the silence. Chalee's grip on her hands tightened, his heart sinking like a stone in a still pond. Why did she not respond, why did she not remember?
The hands that once fit so perfectly in his now slipped free, like sand between his fingers. Snow's voice, a hesitant whisper, asked,
"Who is he, Miso? Do I know him?"
The words hung in the air, a delicate petal suspended from the branch of reality.
She looked at him, eyes searching, but found no familiar thread to pull her back.
"Who is he?" she asked Miso, her voice trembling.
Chalee's knees buckled, his body surrendering to the weight of his emotions. He grasped Snow's hands, his fingers intertwining with hers like the tender shoots of a vine. Tears, like autumn rain, fell from his eyes, as he implored,
"Snow, my love, my heart aches for you. Let us flee this place, and return to the warmth of our home."
His voice, a gentle breeze that rustled the leaves of her soul, awaited her response, longing to hear the sweet whisper of
"Let's go, Seonbae."
Chalee's world cracked but didn't shatter. He held her hands, pressing them against his tear-stained cheeks.
"Snow, I miss you. Let's go home."
But Snow's memories failed her. She looked to Miso again for answers. An agonizing silence hung between them, a pause in the story of their love.
**To be continued...**
Stay tuned for part 2...