Translator: Elisia
Editor/Proofreader: Wojo
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“Miss.”
Yang Hye-in held onto Sara’s shoulders and spoke.
“Are you coming to your senses?”
Sara, whose eyes had been unfocused and wavering since a while ago, barely nodded her head.
Seeing her weak nod, Yang Hye-in let out a small sigh.
“It’s okay now.”
Saying so, she began to remove the tape that bound Sara’s body.
Starting with her legs first.
Not only were her ankles tied, but her knees were also bound, making it impossible to resist properly.
In this state, even struggling would have been difficult.
Yang Hye-in took out a utility knife from her pocket and carefully cut the tape.
Ironically, the tape wasn’t hastily applied but was meticulously layered, one layer after another.
…That fact left her feeling a bit unsettled.
Sara wasn’t the only one who was broken.
Choi Na-kyung was already as shattered as Sara.
Even though she didn’t know what caused it, and even though that didn’t change the fact that it was an unforgivable crime.
And, Yang Hye-in had no right to offer any ‘forgiveness.’
Everything would flow according to Sara’s decision.
Although all the tape around her legs had been cut, Sara’s legs didn’t have any strength.
They merely slumped down.
It was probably because the tight binding had restricted her blood flow, and she had been in the same position for almost two hours.
“Excuse me for a moment.”
Yang Hye-in gently turned Sara’s limp body over.
Her arms were tied at a 90-degree angle, with her wrists bound to the opposite elbows.
Of course, in this position, she couldn’t have used her arms at all.
The arms were bound even tighter than the legs, so Yang Hye-in carefully inspected them and slowly cut the tape.
To make sure Sara wouldn’t get hurt.
And once again, as soon as Sara’s arms were freed, they simply drooped down.
“……”
As a result, Sara ended up with her face buried in the back seat, lying on her stomach.
Thankfully, it seemed that the broken glass hadn’t scattered in this direction.
Worried that Sara might have gotten hurt, Yang Hye-in checked her body carefully.
There were no visible injuries.
There might have been injuries hidden under her uniform, but at least, where it could be seen—
No, there was one place.
Sara’s head.
Her forehead was swollen bright red.
“……”
Was this a mark from Choi Na-kyung’s assault?
The last thing Yang Hye-in saw before she got out of the car was Choi Na-kyung pressing down hard on Sara’s mouth and nose.
Maybe it was from that.
With trembling hands, she brushed aside Sara’s wet hair.
Her forehead, reddened and bruised, seemed like it would leave a mark.
“……”
No matter how much forgiveness was Sara’s choice—
Just as Choi Na-kyung tried to get up,
“Help me!”
A cry rang out.
At the same time, the sound of a car passing by.
“……”
Yang Hye-in stood up and stepped out of the car.
Choi Na-kyung had already run barefoot far down the road.
It seemed she hadn’t been able to take Yang Hye-in’s car.
After all, she had shut the door when she got out.
A passing sedan stopped next to Choi Na-kyung.
She opened the door, said something, and got into the car.
The car hurriedly sped off, as if fleeing.
“……”
Could it be that Choi Na-kyung called that car?
No, it didn’t seem like it.
No matter how much power Choi Na-kyung held in her company, no one would cooperate with such a crazy act.
Even the school officials would turn pale if they found out what had happened today.
Yang Hye-in looked down at herself.
She was wearing thick black clothes and gloves.
Choi Na-kyung’s car stood in the middle of the road, with the windows smashed and the doors wide open.
And although the passing cars might not have noticed, when Yang Hye-in got into the car earlier, she had brought a crowbar with her.
With her black hat on, she probably looked like a car thief robbing an expensive foreign car.
Choi Na-kyung, barefoot and outside, would only appear as a victim.
Maybe the police would arrive here soon.
“……Ugh…….”
A groaning sound came from inside the car.
Sara still couldn’t move her body properly.
She was trying to lift herself, but her limbs, which had been bound for so long, seemed to lack strength.
Maybe she had bumped her head somewhere and suffered a mild concussion.
“Please don’t push yourself.”
Yang Hye-in quickly entered the car and gently laid Sara down.
“Miss, it’s okay now. You can relax and close your eyes for a moment. I’m here with you.”
“…Hye-in…”
“Yes, I’m here.”
After hesitating for a moment, Yang Hye-in placed her hand over Sara’s.
…This much should be okay.
Even though she knew that Sara’s friends would be of much more help than herself in this situation, they weren’t here right now.
Just for a moment.
Until everyone arrives, it should be okay to stay like this.
“…What’s the situation…?”
“It’s okay now.”
Yang Hye-in reassured Sara, who was trying to look around.
“It’s all over now.”
Of course, Choi Na-kyung had fled.
If Yang Hye-in were to chase her right now, maybe she could catch her.
But right now, Sara was more important.
She couldn’t leave Sara here alone just for that reason.
“……”
Sara’s chest, which had been heaving with rough breaths, seemed to calm down a bit.
Choi Na-kyung might have run away, but she would be caught soon.
Especially after causing such an incident.
The police had already been investigating her, and even the district office had dispatched personnel before.
So, it’s over.
That’s what Yang Hye-in thought.
*
“Hey, over there!”
From inside the moving car, So-hee shouted.
Where she pointed, two cars were parked side by side.
“……Ah.”
The rear car had its driver’s side window shattered.
At first glance, it seemed like the window was just rolled down, but shards of glass were scattered outside the car.
The reporter parked the car a little distance away and was the first to rush out.
It was hard to tell where she had pulled out his camera from.
And then she started taking pictures enthusiastically.
The other three also got out of the car one after another.
“Sara!”
Who shouted her name?
Maybe it didn’t even matter.
All three must have called out to her somehow.
And soon, all three could breathe a sigh of relief.
In the back seat of the car were Sara and Yang Hye-in.
Sara had fallen asleep in Yang Hye-in’s arms.
Although Sara’s face was covered in tears and sweat—
And then—
“Huh?”
The first to notice something strange on Sara’s face was Yoo Ha-neul.
“Sara, what happened to your face?”
Opening the door, she asked Yang Hye-in, who shook her head.
“I’m not sure either. Perhaps…”
She trailed off, but Yoo Ha-neul could guess what she was about to say.
“…Choi Na-kyung.”
Yoo Ha-neul bit out that name.
“Where is she?”
When Yoo Ha-neul asked, the reporter’s ears perked up as she continued snapping photos.
Yang Hye-in, unfazed, spoke in a calm voice.
“She escaped in a passing car.”
“…What?”
Soo-ah, who had been listening alongside, asked in a dazed voice.
“Perhaps they thought she was the victim. I don’t think the driver was someone working with her.”
“Ah…”
Yoo Ha-neul glanced at the driver’s seat again.
…There were shards of glass scattered all over the seat, obviously from someone smashing the window.
Plus, Yang Hye-in was dressed entirely in black from head to toe.
“What state is Sara…”
Before finishing her question, Yoo Ha-neul quickly shut her mouth.
Although she didn’t think Sara would wake up, it was better not to risk it.
Whether the person in Sara’s body right now was Sara or ‘Sara,’ she had gone through something terrifying.
She had barely escaped from that situation, so there was no need to remind her of it.
“……”
Yoo Ha-neul surveyed the surroundings slowly.
Tape was scattered on the car floor.
It had been cleanly cut in the middle, likely with a knife, but the tape itself was layered several times over.
Just from that, she could tell how tightly Sara had been bound.
How scared must she have been.
How hopeless must she have felt.
It would have been better to follow ‘Sara’ back then.
Even if she refused, they should have forced themselves to go with her.
“……”
Both So-hee and Soo-ah, standing beside Yoo Ha-neul, were silent.
They were just staring quietly at the sleeping Sara in the car.
Click, click, the sound of the camera was the only thing that broke the heavy silence.
“I won’t let this go.”
Yoo Ha-neul muttered to herself.
“The person who did this to Sara, and the school that allowed this to happen. None of them.”
Though she didn’t yet know how she would do it,
She wouldn’t let them get away with it.
At her words, So-hee and Soo-ah nodded silently.