Reduced to Ashes

So-ra’s seventh birthday. A small mistake led to a raging fire that swallowed everything whole—even the relationship between two people who had once been good friends. “Hak-bin… I’ll stay by your side. I won’t let you be lonely. I’ll be your mom, your big sister, and your friend… I’ll do anything you want. I promise.” As if bound by that childhood promise, So-ra quietly looked after him, indulged his clinginess, and repaid the “debt” in her heart little by little. What kept her from collapsing under that suffocating weight of guilt was the hope that once she became an adult, she could distance herself from Hak-bin and finally reclaim her own life… “Seems like you still haven’t come to your senses.” “...” “But you get it now, don’t you? Who the important person is to you.” “…” “From now on, do it like this. The one you have to save is me. So nothing happens to me, you need to keep your eyes on me—always. Only me.” Hot tears slid from the corners of her eyes as she looked at him. Her vision blurred, and it felt as though her breath was caught in her throat. Hak-bin pressed his forehead against hers and spoke while she stood there, unable to say a word. “You have that responsibility.” Hak-bin’s words pierced her heart like a sharp dagger. Cold blood seemed to spill inside her, and before she knew it, her breath carried the scent of something burnt. “You’re mine, aren’t you?”