Chapter 23
I lay on the clinic bed, the softness of the mattress enveloping me as I gazed down at my knee. The band-aid stuck on the scrape seemed like a tiny, insignificant Band-Aid for the ordeal I'd endured. Relief washed over me like a gentle wave, soothing my frazzled nerves. I was safe, and that was all that mattered.
The door swung open with a soft creak, and Jo burst into the room, his face etched with worry and guilt. His eyes locked onto mine, and he rushed over to my bedside, his words tumbling out in a frantic apology. "I'm so sorry, Sarah. I'm so, so sorry. This is all my fault."
I shook my head, trying to reassure him, but Jo wouldn't be swayed. His eyes pleaded with me to understand, and his voice cracked with emotion. "No, it's my fault," he insisted, his words spilling out in a torrent of self-reproach. "I should have been more careful. I should have made sure you were okay."
I sighed, feeling a flutter of frustration in my chest. "Jo, stop apologizing," I said firmly, trying to inject some calm into the situation. "It's really okay. I'm fine." But Jo's gaze lingered on mine, his eyes still clouded with worry.
"I was scared, Sarah," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "I thought something terrible might have happened to you." My heart went out to him, and I smiled weakly, trying to reassure him. "I was scared too," I said, my voice softening. "But I'm okay now."
Jo's face relaxed slightly, the tension easing out of his shoulders as he gazed at me, the only sound the quiet hum of the clinic's machinery and the soft rustle of the sheets.
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The darkness of night descended upon the area, but the building's lights cast a warm, golden glow that illuminated the surroundings. An old woman, clad in a faded pink uniform, worked tirelessly, her broom sweeping across the floor in steady, practiced strokes. Her eyes were fixed on the ground, her face a map of wrinkles and age spots, etched by years of hard work and dedication. Sweat dripped from her forehead, tracing slow paths down her cheeks as she labored in the warm light.
Chuchu and her friends strolled by "Oh, so you mean that girl got lost in the woods?" Chuchu asked, a sly grin spreading across her face. One of her friends chuckled and replied, "Yeah, something like that." Chuchu's eyes flashed with a mix of amusement and annoyance. "Well, she thinks I've forgotten what she did to me the other day," she said, her voice laced with a hint of malice.
"By the way, where did you say she is again?" Chuchu asked, her eyes scanning the surroundings as if searching for her target. Another friend replied, "She's at the school clinic right now, I heard she probably hurt her leg or something." Chuchu's grin grew wider, her eyes glinting with determination. "Well, let's all head over there," she said, her voice dripping with intent.
Their laughter and chatter filled the air, punctuated by the rustling of snack wrappers. Chuchu, her eyes shining with amusement, carelessly discarded the wrapper from her treat, watching as it fluttered through the air, a tiny, crinkled thing, before coming to rest near the old woman's feet. The old woman's gaze followed Chuchu as she walked away, her expression a complex mixture of frustration and resignation. She sighed, the sound barely audible, and bent down to pick up the discarded wrapper, her movements economical and practiced. she added it to the pile of trash she had collected.
The old woman's voice cut through the quite hallways "Haksaeng! Yeogi da sseuregi beoriji maseyo!" (Student, stop littering the whole place!")
Chuchu stopped dead in her tracks, turned to her friends, and suddenly laughed. The old woman's stern words seemed to roll off her like water off a duck's back. Her friends looked at her in surprise, but Chuchu just chuckled and shook her head. "Hal-meoni hogsi michyeosseo???(old woman are you perhaps crazy??)" she asked raising an eyebrow and her friends giggled in agreement.
Chuchu walked over to the old woman, her eyes sparkling with a mix of mischief and defiance. She leaned in close, her voice barely above a whisper, and said, "Geuraeseo, ne ireun mwoni? Yeogi da cheongsohaneun geo aniya? Irina hae, bulpyeong geumanhae!" (So, what's your job? Isn't your job to clean the whole place? Just do your job and stop complaining)
The old woman's expression turned stern, her eyes narrowing slightly as she straightened up, her face inches from Chuchu's. For a moment, the two locked eyes, the air thick with tension, before the old woman's gaze never wavered.
The old woman's expression turned stern, her eyes narrowing slightly as she straightened up. "Neo muryehae" she said, her voice firm but controlled. " nae cheot sonnyeo-ga neorang gateun nainde,neo cheoreom jeoldae an dwae."
(you are rude,my first grand daughter is your age and she can never be Like you)
Chuchu's smile faltered for a moment before she snapped back, her confidence unwavering. She pulled back, her eyes locked on the old woman's, and said with a smirk, "I guess she's not as pretty as I am.
(Nae saenggagen, geunyeoneun na-mankeum yeppeuji ana)
The old woman's face reddened, her hands tightening around her broom handle. For a moment, it seemed like she might say something more, but instead, she took a deep breath and turned back to her work, her movements swift and precise.
Chuchu watched her for a moment, then turned and walked away, her friends waiting for her a short distance off. As she joined them, they exchanged glances, and Chuchu's smile returned, her confidence and poise intact.