The letter ended abruptly, leaving me in a whirlwind of confusion and sorrow. Ji-yu hadn't finished writing it; her departure seemed sudden and unexpected. My heart ached with unanswered questions. Why didn't she at least leave her address or some information about her identity? She had given me just enough to care deeply but not enough to find her. It was like holding onto a dream that faded the moment I woke up.
After reading the letter, I sat in her room for what felt like hours. The weight of her words, the story she shared, and her sudden absence crushed me. For days, I couldn't bring myself to eat or sleep properly. Everything felt meaningless. My mind replayed her words over and over, trying to grasp the pain she endured and the strength she must have needed to leave.
I finally returned to my house, but the emptiness followed me. The walls of my room seemed to close in, amplifying the loneliness that Ji-yu's absence had left behind. Each day felt heavier than the last. I barely spoke to anyone and avoided my friends. My family tried to cheer me up, but they didn't understand the depth of what I was feeling. Ji-yu's story, her struggles, and her mysterious departure had carved a void in my heart.
Days turned into weeks, and nothing seemed to change. My appetite was gone, and even the things I used to enjoy felt dull and lifeless. My friends began to notice my state and decided to intervene. They started visiting more often, dragging me out for walks, casual outings, and even forcing me to eat properly. Though I resisted at first, their persistence eventually started to help.
One evening, about a month after Ji-yu's departure, my best friend, Min-soo, sat me down for a serious talk.
"Jun-ho, I know you're hurting, but you can't let this consume you," he said, his voice firm yet gentle. "She wouldn't want you to live like this. Whoever Ji-yu is, she clearly cared about you enough to leave you with a part of her story. Use that to remember her, but don't let it destroy you."
Min-soo's words struck a chord. Ji-yu wouldn't want me to waste away like this. Her story, her struggles it all pointed to someone who valued life, even if it had been difficult. Slowly, with the help of my friends, I began to find my footing again.
The routine of daily life became my anchor. I started focusing on my studies again, preparing for the upcoming final exams. The pressure of exams was a welcome distraction. My friends and I would gather at the library, pulling all-nighters, discussing possible exam questions, and sharing notes. It felt good to have a sense of purpose again, even if it was just about exams.
As the final exams approached, I found myself thinking about Ji-yu less frequently during the day. But at night, when everything was quiet, her letter and her story would return to my mind. I often wondered where she was and what she was doing. Was she safe? Was she happy? The questions haunted me, but I tried not to let them consume me.
One day, while flipping through my notes, I found a small piece of paper tucked away. It was a note Ji-yu had written during one of our brief conversations before she disappeared. It wasn't much just a simple message about how she found the color blue calming. Yet, holding that note brought back a flood of memories. I smiled, thinking of how her presence, even in the smallest moments, had left an imprint on my life.
As exams ended and the results were announced, I found myself feeling lighter. My grades were good enough to secure admission to the university of my choice. My friends celebrated with me, and for the first time in months, I felt genuinely happy. Life was moving forward, and I was determined to move forward with it.
Yet, a part of me still held onto the hope of seeing Ji-yu again. I couldn't shake the feeling that our story wasn't over. Something about the way she had entered my life and the bond we had formed felt unfinished. I didn't know when or how, but I believed that fate would bring us together again. Until then, I decided to focus on building my life, one step at a time.
For now, Ji-yu was a memory a bittersweet chapter of my life that had shaped me in ways I didn't fully understand yet. And as I prepared to step into the next phase of my life, I carried her story with me, a reminder of resilience, love, and the mysterious ways life connects us to others.
After achieving good results, the next step was moving to the capital since I had secured admission to my dream university. It felt bittersweet. On one hand, it was an exciting opportunity, but on the other, it meant parting ways with my close friends. None of them were joining the same university as me.
One of my friends had enrolled in a prestigious law school to pursue their dream of becoming a lawyer, while the other had been accepted into a renowned medical university to follow their ambition of becoming a doctor. Meanwhile, I prepared to step into the National University campus, which had been my goal for years.
The day I left for the capital was filled with mixed emotions. My parents were proud, yet their eyes were heavy with sadness. My mother packed a bag full of food, as if I wouldn't eat anything proper in the city. My father, although stoic, gave me words of advice that lingered in my mind. 'Be focused, be strong, and don't forget where you come from,' he said.
The journey to the capital was long, but I spent most of it reflecting on everything that had brought me to this point Ji-yu, my friends, my struggles. Moving to a new place felt like a chance to start afresh, yet I couldn't shake off the weight of the past. Ji-yu's incomplete letter still lingered in my thoughts. Would I ever meet her again? Would I get answers to the questions that haunted me?
The National University campus was vast, bustling with life, and filled with faces eager to start their own journeys. My first steps there were hesitant, yet determined. I was entering a new phase of my life, one where I hoped to find clarity, purpose, and perhaps, closure to the chapters of my past.