Hit From Behind

They had just finished their meal at the local restaurant - Friday being their usual date night - and were now heading back to Ali's dorm.

A sweet melody spun its threads about the couple and left them with unparalleled warmth and happiness. Their laughter filled the car and their smiles spread from ear to ear.

Smiles that were soon to fade and their expressions changed to ones of horror as the car was rammed from behind, and Seonghwa lost control of the wheel.

Ali screamed for him to hit the brakes, but no matter how much he pressed down, nothing happened. Someone had cut the brakes, and now they were crashing into the lamppost up ahead.

The front of the car caved in and Seonghwa slumped against the steering wheel, his breathing slowed and he didn't respond to Ali's voice.

She struggled to unlock the seatbelt but it wouldn't budge, and she felt a pain in her legs. Looking down, she saw that her legs were trapped under the dashboard, blood coated her lower half, and she was now struggling to stay awake herself.

Sirens blared in the distance, and they were the last thing she heard before she passed out.

☽

A week later, she woke up in a hospital with her legs in casts. The pain of her legs was nothing compared to what her heart felt as she remembered the sight of Seonghwa slumped against the steering wheel.

"Seonghwa? Where's Seonghwa?" Her voice came out raspy.

"He's..."

When she could move around on her own, she steered her wheelchair over to Seonghwa's room. The nurses had told her that he had woken up, and they allowed her to visit him.

She entered the room and was relieved to see he only had some cuts and bruises. He had fared better than her, who still had her legs in casts.

"Seonghwa, I'm so glad you're ok." Her voice startled him and he turned blank eyes in her direction.

The question he asked next would remain with her for a long time to come, "do I know you?"

☽

Her legs pained her as she sat on the bleachers and watched her classmates doing the sports event. It had been a year, but her legs still hadn't healed fully yet, and that meant she had to do as little exercise as possible.

Honestly, she didn't mind, and she was quite happy to just sit and watch.

Halfway through the event, a new shadow joined her own when someone sat beside her. Swivelling her eyes to the side, she could somewhat make out Seonghwa's profile.

Why had he sat beside her? Her heart jumped in her chest, and her breath quickened.

She clenched her sweaty palms at her sides, and then greeted him with a sunny smile, even though internally she was screaming.

"You're Jae's sister, right?" he looked so innocent as he asked the question.

Like back then, he did not understand how much enmity there was between the two sisters. Ali had tried hard to keep that part of her life away from him, but clearly, that was something she could no longer do. Her sister had finally gotten what she wanted, and her claws were now dug deep into Seonghwa.

Ali was torn between warning him about her sister or just letting it all go and moving on.

But would moving on be fair to Seonghwa?

To let him continue being engaged to the devil's daughter, without the knowledge of her causing the accident, or telling him and letting him live out the rest of his life like he deserved. Happily and without worries.

Ali stood up and made to go down the bleachers. Her head felt like it was about to split open with the number of thoughts she had running through it, and whilst she wasn't paying attention she missed a step.

Before she could fall, however, she felt strong arms wrap around her back and they held her in place.

Ali looked up at Seonghwa's face, that was so close that she could see every handsome detail, and both of their breaths caught in their throats as they locked eyes.

"What's going on here?" A shrill voice popped their little intimate bubble.

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