FLASHBACK; 20 YRS BEFORE

“Are you alright, Yena?” A boy asked as he saved the girl from falling on the forest’s land.
“Oh… gomawo.” Yena smiled back at Insoo.
“Umm… you need to be more careful.” He said.
They were camping with some other highschool friends. They had to find a herb and some other things.
“Insoo, I think we’re lost.” Yena said worriedly.
“We should head to the meeting point, I hope they will arrive there soon, right?” He suggested and she nodded. The darkness was slowly filling in. Yena was following Insoo.
“Insoo, wait!” She yelled from behind.
“What?”
“I think some insect bit me.” She closed her eyes tightly due to the piercing pain on her lower arm.
“Show it to me.” He looked at the bitten area. “Is it hurting?”
“Just a little bit. Let’s head back first.” She said, as they rushed to their meeting place; but she fainted before reaching the point.

2 days later, Hospital

“Are you the patient’s father?” Dr. Misook asked.
“Ye…” Yena’s father replied.
“Can I have a moment, please?” She asked and they left.
Insoo, Yena’s boyfriend, entered the room where Yena was for 2 days.
“Insoo….” Yena looked up at him while lying on the hospital bed.
“Are you alright now?” He asked as he watched her pale skin.
“I guess so….” She mumbled.
“I was so scared when you fainted.” He came closer to her bed.
“Who let you enter?” Misook entered the room and Insoo stopped. She was wearing her uniform and a surgical mask, covering her head as well.
“Uh…. I-I was just….”
“Leave the room immediately.” Misook said.
“But why???” Insoo glared.
“I’ll explain. Come out with me.” She said.
“I’ll be back. Don’t worry.” Insoo said to Yena and left with Dr. Misook.

“Have a seat.” Misook said. They were in her office, along with Yena’s father. Her father looked extremely tensed.
“W-What happened? Will someone tell me?” Insoo asked.
“So, introduce yourself.” Misook asked.
“I am Heo In Soo. I am Yena’s friend.”
“Boyfriend?” Misook squinted her eyes.
“Uh… well yes.” He replied hesitatingly.
“Insoo, she is infected by a virus, it’s my first time encountering this virus. And it is contagious, so you better stay away from her.”
“Wh-hat?” He was shocked. “Ok… but…. I’ll visit again sometime later.” He said and then left the room.

As time passed by, Yena’s condition worsened. She was completely isolated, not being able to meet her family, friends, or Insoo. Misook tried her best to cure her but no miracle happened. Misook suggested Yena to cut off all the relations and live an isolated life, while some medicines can help her live. The loneliness, itself was more fatal than the disease. However, Insoo’s hot-bloodedness made him meet her despite all the hurdles. Misook told him many times that he can get infected too and thus the fatal disease can spread but it wasn’t possible for him to see Yena in her current condition. After an year, he married Yena when Misook finally gave up. Yena was 6 months pregnant, when Insoo also got infected from the disease.

6 yrs later

“Annyeong…” Noah waved to her best friend, MiHi. She was 5 years old in elementary school.
“Was she your friend?” Insoo asked.
“Umm….” Noah replied smiling brightly.
“Ok… we have an appointment with Dr. Misook.”
“But last time she said I was healthy. I don’t wanna go there again.” Noah pouted.
“Well, she said that but you’re going to school and making friends, so she says you should have a check-up.”
“Will you not send me to school if I am not healthy?”
“Hahah… who told you that?” insoo sked.
“Umma…. She is always against it, me going to school. What’s her problem appa?” She asked.
“Uh… that’s what all ummas do.”
“Aniyo…. Mihi’s umma is so cool. She never nags and let her play with other children.” Noah told.
“Noah…. Don’t get too close to Mihi… ok?”
“Why are you talking like umma?”
“Its for the better.” Insoo glared at her.
She gave him a tensed look. Insoo picked her up.
“Appa? How come we never visit Grandpa and Grandma? Do they also not like us?” She asked innocently.
“Yup… they hate us.”
“Wae?”
“Noah… you ask so many questions.”
“Hehe… my teacher says that too.” She smiled.

After 2 days, Mihi got ill and wasn’t able to attend the school. A week later, she actually died of the same virus. Yena restricted Noah from attending the school, teaching her at home. However, after that incident, Yena became more and more aggressive. The atmosphere became so uncomfortable that it was hard to live in. One day, Insoo and Yena had an argument over something really simple but it got bigger and bigger. Insoo also regretted marrying her and all the stuff which raged Yena even more. The depression within her reached its limit.

Noah was in the garden playing with herself when she heard her umma speaking harshly and yelling over something. She was so afraid to go inside at the moment but a few minutes later of that, she felt something strange as her voices stopped which was not usual. She went inside the house. There was complete silence. Then she saw her appa who was sitting on the chair in the lounge. She was facing his back. There was no movement. Noah moved forward and faced her appa from the front. Insoo’s neck was bleeding; his eyes and mouth, both were slightly opened. She tried to wake him up but it didn’t take time for her to realize that he was dead.
“NOAH!!!!” She heard her umma screaming out her name.
She felt chills running down her spine. She tried not to make noise and escape out.
“NOAH???? WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU???? COME OUT…. LET ME FINISH IT; ONCE AND FOR ALL.” Yena yelled.
Yena entered the lounge again and saw Noah’s shirt peeking out of the curtain. Noah was shaking. Yena took slow steps towards her daughter but in the way, she vomited blood and fainted.
Misook caressed Noah’s hair. “You umma will live in this psychiatric hospital. We’ll come often and pay visits to her. Everything will be alright.” She told.
Noah was not mature enough to cry over her umma’s mental condition or her appa’s death but she was aware of the fact that the loneliness, she feared from, will be her only friend from now on. After that Misook adopted Noah and took good care of her. Yena died of the disease, while she was in the hospital, 3 years later.

She was broken inside. She just wanted to sleep the whole day, not thinking about anything but that was hard too. The pain was wild and futile not leaving her a single moment. Nobody was there to comfort her. That’s how Noah lived her childhood, with deep scars, harsh memories and a pressing pressure.

Notes

Really hard to end this. 2 or 3 ideas and but cant decide which one to use. :P