CH 1

Trigger Warning: Suicidal Thought



It must be cold.



It will be cold.



It was at that moment I took a step back and stared at the endless flow of the black river.



SCRATCH.



And then I heard a strange noise. When I turned around, I saw a sedan gliding in the rain.



‘That’s a very expensive car.’ I thought, and suddenly the car turned around in a big circle. 



I was completely frozen at the thought of an accident and his eyes followed the back of the car.



The car turned on the spot, ran unsettlingly, and stopped only after crumpling the railing and putting one front wheel on the sidewalk.



The horn shrieked loudly before stopping. Then there was silence.



I trembled and approached because I thought I shouldn’t just stand there. I was limping to put my shoes back on after taking them off.



The car was more expensive than expected upon closer inspection. The engine was overheating, causing smoke, and the windows were heavily tinted, making it impossible to see inside.



“Excuse me, are you okay?”



He knocked on the window, but there was no response.



“Excuse me.”



“…”



“You are not dead, right?”



“…” 



It wasn’t a major accident, but the thought that the driver might injured somewhere caused me to panic. I was in a hurry to find my phone and remembered leaving it at home. It was late at night in the middle of winter, so there were no cars passing by, and after a brief moment of thought, I decided to force open the car door.



I took a step back and gathered my strength to slam the window with all my might.



“Argh…!”



Fortunately, the door opened just at that time.



My shoulder and forearm were sore from slamming into the window so I rubbed them with my other hands, and the driver then comes out of the car.



“Oh, shit… this is driving me crazy.”



The person who came out swearing was a young-looking man. He examined the car’s dented bumper carefully, looking for any damage.



“Damn it, fuck. My brother will kill me.”



‘Brother?’



While he was tall, he looks to be quite young, and the word “brother” makes me suspicious.



“Ah, I was surprised to see you standing on the Han River bridge in the middle of the night!”



The sudden shouting confirmed my suspicion. While massaging my still-achy shoulder, I asked sarcastically.



“How old are you?”



“I-I’m twenty-five, why?”



“Twenty-five? You’re born in the Year of the Horse, then.”



“Huh, what’s with a horse Year! I got into an accident because of you.”



“Hey, high school student. Did you steal your brother’s car and drive it?”



“W-what, I-I’m not?”



The high school student shook his dripping wet hair. He was a man who could not lie like a child.



“I can see right through you. You can get a license if you wait a month, but you couldn’t help yourself and drove your brother’s car out? You’re a complete moron.”



“Darn it, this is my car! My mom gave it to me as a gift that I’m done with my college entrance.”



“Yeah, right.”



I looked at the car again when I heard the high school student yelling angrily.



It’s brand new, so it’s worth about a billion. I guess it’s a very well-off house to give this kind of car as a gift for the college entrance exam.



“Your car or not, you are unlicensed. You secretly pulled out a decent car and caused an accident. Well, it will be confiscated. Congratulations.”



“It’s because of you! I’m surprised because you’re wearing a dark black outfit on the Han River bridge at this hour, and I’m going to sue you for damages!”



‘Do you even understand what it means to be compensated for damages?’



I looked pityingly at the pathetic high school student. The high school student began whining and tearing his hair off, which terrified me.



“Oh, I’m going crazy. It’s ruined, damn it. He will kill me.”



It was interesting to see a high school student who spits out curse words in front of a stranger and is terrified of his brother.



I moved my gaze to the front and examined the completely crumpled railing and bumper. There was no other option but to send it in for repair.



“Do you have insurance?”



“I don’t know. How do I know?”



“A few hundreds won would be enough for these.”



In fact, it would be over a thousand, but I cut it short because I thought the high school student would be terrified. The high school student, on the other hand, shakes his head and shows an unexpected reaction.



“It doesn’t matter if it’s hundreds or thousands. My brother gave me the keys and told me to get a license the following year, but if he found out I disobeyed him and caused an accident, he’d kill me! He’ll throw me into the Han River without a second thought. It’s driving me insane.”



‘It doesn’t matter how many thousands? Are you saying you’re more concerned with being scolded by your brother than with money?’



I scanned him from head to toe without the high school student noticing. I don’t know much about a school brand, but I recognized the logo on the bottom of the shirt. It was a well-known school.



Furthermore, this high school student is an alpha.



I knew he was an Alpha the moment he stepped out of the car. Now, I’ve perfectly captured the pheromone, but I didn’t catch it while he was in the car.



I was worried in vain about this rich high school… I laughed out loud.



“What the fuck are you laughing at?” 



The high school student thought I was laughing at him, so he frowned and became annoyed.



“Nothing, I was curious as to why you crashed to the railing. Why don’t you just hit me?” 



I said it because it was truly such a waste.



I wish that crumpled railing was my body.



Although I said it with sincerity, the high schooling had eyes that listened to all kinds of nonsense.



“Are you crazy? No wonder you were alone on the Han River bridge in the middle of the rainy night; it turns out you’re crazy.”



“Think whatever you want. You don’t seem to be hurt but go to the hospital just in case. I’m leaving.”



“Damn it, where are you going! I had an accident because of you!”



“Stop it there’s  a CCTV here and call your guardian.”



I pointed my chin at the cell phone that was rolling in the passenger seat. The high school student had a world-weary expression. I secretly hoped he’d grab my collar and punch me, but that didn’t happen. Eventually, the high school student returned to his car and picked up his phone.



I looked at the crushed rail and turned around.



Why did I come here? There was a reason why I come to the Han River on a rainy night.



I’m so tired.



I wouldn’t have been able to do it anyway.



I should go home, wash up, and think about whether I want to continue this tedious time or take a different path.



Either way, I have to go back first.



My footsteps naturally slowed down.



I’m sick and tired of everything.



I stopped for a moment and looked up at the rainy sky. Standing in the middle of winter in wet clothes gave me chills.



I‘ll catch a cold if I stay here any longer.



I intended to return quickly, but my feet did not move.



“Hey!”



As I was getting ready to leave, I heard a loud shout from behind me.



“Hey, you! Wait!”



When I turned around, I saw the high schooler approaching me. I waited for him with a questioning expression on my face.



He’s not really asking for compensation, is he?



“You.”



The high school student who had come to a close stop took a breath and opened his mouth.



“You, I will give you money, so please help me tell my brother.”