Despite Seoju's powerful plea during the trial, the verdict was unanimous. After six months of media battles, grueling sessions, the jury delivered its verdict. Not guilty.
Vania got away with a fine, one she could pay with all her savings, and community service. Pathetic, Seoju thought. Nevertheless, the prosecutor could rely on the second form of justice; that of glances and prejudices. Vania had to resign from her job, ending up working in a small neighborhood bookstore. She moved from the city to a more secluded, discreet corner. Her life was no longer the same, as Prosecutor Kim had predicted. But well, this simple life wasn't bad either.
Around mid-September of the following year, her road works came to an end. Vania set out to find a better job, but every time she walked into an office, she could see faces crumble upon seeing her tainted criminal record.
Disappointed, disgusted, on edge, embittered, aggressive, alcoholic. Day by day, Vania sank until she went into detox. Six months later, upon her release, things remained the same. She remained "the girl who killed that guy on Christmas." The story twisted in the mouths, the words remained just as harsh.
To cope with this aggressive world, Vania went back to work at the bookstore. There, the elderly couple offered her calm and sympathy. She eventually found contentment in this rather monotonous life, between her job and her small apartment. No friends, no family.
That would almost be three years, to the day. Vania found herself grappling with conflicting emotions. The little bookstore had become her sanctuary, but painful memories seemed to resurface with an unexpected intensity. She struggled to conceal her discomfort, but each book she placed on the shelves seemed to whisper haunting recollections to her.
Meanwhile, Geoul wrestled with his own emotional burden. The chance encounter at the bookstore had stirred up emotions he thought he had buried. Lingering guilt haunted him, forcing him to reassess. Had he done enough to mend the damage caused by that fateful night? These thoughts swirled in his mind, adding an extra layer of complexity to his already busy life.
The two fates, though separated by tragic circumstances, seemed to intersect once again. Amidst the bookshelves and the dark alleyways of their minds, an unexpected chapter of their shared history was about to unfold.
When she thought she had left everything behind, Vania faced her past again. There, in the bookstore, he walked in. The moment their eyes met, they recognized each other. Vania, in shock, dropped the small stack of books she was holding, defenseless. The young man immediately detached himself from his group of friends to come to her aid. On his hand, he recognized the scar from that night when the knife pierced his hand. This scar was so hard to see, to live with.
Impulsively, Geoul touched her hand, making the young woman shiver. She immediately recoiled, protecting her hands.
"Don't do that anymore."she mumbled.
He didn't have time to apologize before she ran immediately towards the back of the shop, disappearing behind a silk curtain. Geoul stood up, wanting to catch up with her, but he was held back by his friend.
"What's wrong," worried about his appearance. "Did you see a ghost or something?"
"Yes," replied Geoul, casting one last glance. "We can say that, yes."
His friend didn't take him seriously and signaled that they had found the sought-after book, and it was time to leave. Reluctantly, Geoul followed the group. At the cashier, an old lady cashed them out. Geoul peered over her, hoping to see her again, to make sure he hadn't imagined anything, that it was indeed her. Unfortunately, she had hidden well and didn't reappear.
The young woman sat on the floor, curled up against her trunk; unable to regain her composure, her breath remained crimson and wheezing. She didn't need this, to go back. To the steps of that building, on that night. Cold, dark. She repeated to herself: "No, no."
Mr. Atachi spotted his employee, and he approached her.
Years ago, Mr. and Mrs. Atachi had a daughter. And sometimes, they found themselves in the same state as Vania. Not because of trauma, but simply because nature had made them this way. So when she left, her parents didn't blame anyone, not even herself for taking her own life. On the contrary, they blamed themselves for being bad parents. So when Vania entered the couple's life, they saw her as a second chance. An opportunity to redeem themselves to their late daughter, they wanted to support her as they would have liked to do with Oada.
Mr. Atachi bent down to her level, and as always, he gently stroked the top of her head and reassured the young woman.
"Everything's fine now, Vania. Calm down, I'm here."
Little by little, the young woman broke out of her shell, and she finally embraced the old man. The young woman, weakened, melted into tears in his arms. Mr. Atachi asked her if she wanted to talk about it, but of course, Vania refused. She never said anything, but sometimes she panicked, cried, and withdrew even more. The couple sometimes feared for Vania, they were afraid she would choose Oada's path. But, sometimes, Vania smiled and said: "Everything's fine.", and that was enough to reassure them that she would come back tomorrow.
After her crisis, Vania resumed work until closing time. Then she went home by bus. She had no pets, no particular hobbies. Sometimes, she came home and simply lay on her bed. Vania then reminisced about her life before; before the accident, before her mother's death, with her parents' divorce. Few memories, often invented, came back to her. Some nights, that was enough to sleep. Other nights, it kept her awake.
Geoul, on the other hand, was young, energetic, and happy with his life. After almost taking hers unfairly, the young man realized the chance he had to live, and he promised himself to make the most of it. His parents offered him an apartment in a better residential area. He had friends, a girlfriend, a beautiful life. After the accident, the allusion disappeared from his life. No one wanted to talk about it so he could forget, so he could forget everything. That night, the mood wasn't festive for the young man because he remembered something he was supposed to remember all his life. His life, he owed it to someone.
Drowned in the sounds, the lights of that nightclub, his mind wandered. Geoul felt light, probably because of the alcohol. His eyes became heavy, like that night. His fingers too, became frozen like his small room. At the time, because he wanted to rebel, Geoul had settled in this shabby neighborhood to escape his parents' surveillance. These spoiled adolescent follies had attracted him problems, to the point of being targeted by a criminal. How stupid, naive, and above all, cruelly selfish he had been. Now that he had grown up, reflecting on the past, he had never made good choices. The apartment, the drugs, the false freedom. Nothing good, and all those choices, only one person paid for them. And it wasn't him.
Without warning, Geoul left the party. Aeri tried to convince him to come back, but the young man ignored his girlfriend. Geoul got into his car, leaving Aeri standing foolishly on the sidewalk.