AAE -- Wishes Of The Heart

Chapter 173

written by LoveCR2 -- 2005

edited by All-About-AAE -- 2018

 

"I warned you to stay away, Jin Sun-Mi. Instead you had to play the hero, like Kim Woo-Jin." -- Bae In-Soo

 

 

ORPHANAGE CHURCH, KANGWON-DO ...

 

... 'You'd be dead already except that idiot Kim Woo-Jin had to play the hero' ...

... 'If you ever cross me again, it'll be this pretty throat wide open' ...

 

Listening to In-Soo's threats from the sacristy, Sun-Mi is invigorated by a rush of indignation...

 

... your sacrifice won't be in vain, Woo-Jin... she vows to herself... I'll protect Young-Mi for you...

 

 

Looking out into the sanctuary, she sees Young-M and In-Soo in front of the altar. The priest and Hyung-Chul are standing close together, to the right of the altar, behind Young-Mi.

 

In-Soo is glaring at Young-Mi, holding the knife up threateningly, where she can see it ...

 

"Get it?" he snarls at her. "No more tricks..."

 

"Yes," Young-Mi replies dully, having no other recourse.

 

"That's better," he grins maliciously. "I knew you'd see things my way, with a little persuasion..."

 

He lowers the knife, and calls to the priest, "Marry us now, and do it quick..."

 

 

Aware that she is at a disadvantage physically, Sun-Mi realizes that she needs a weapon, and the element of surprise, to successfully take on In-Soo with his knife.

 

She hastily looks around the sacristy for anything she can use to fight. Spying a pair of candlesticks atop the vestment cabinet, she goes over to get one. Solid brass and over 90cm tall with a wide base, she needs both hands to raise it over her head like a cudgel.

 

...she had the luck to defeat Kim Eun-Ki and the attacker in her apartment ... hopefully her luck will hold out today, too ...

 

Returning to the sanctuary door, she peers out, waiting for the right moment to intervene.

 

 

The priest has moved in front of the altar to conduct the impromptu ceremony. He looks at Young-Mi for her consent, but she is staring down at the floor blankly, uncommunicative...

 

"What are you waiting for?" In-Soo growls.

 

"Your name, Sir," the priest asks. "For the vows."

 

"We've already agreed to marry, so you can start right where I came in," In-Soo replies impatiently. "And skip the ring part, too... We're in a hurry..."

 

But the priest insists on minimal form, prompting, "Miss Huh Young-Mi? Do you give your willing consent?"

 

Young-Mi raises her eyes, and he sees that her eyes are filled with numb resignation...

 

"I ... I do," she answers listlessly.

 

"I do, too," In-Soo says hurriedly, before being asked, impatient to keep the ceremony moving, "Let's get on with it..."

 

 

The priest, reluctant to officiate over what he considers a travesty of the sacrament, clears his throat first before proceeding...

 

"Therefore, I declare to all present, what God hath joined together, let no man separate," he recites the closing declaration, and then concludes the abbreviated ceremony...

 

"I now pronounce you husband and wife."

 

 

With the formalities over, In-Soo wastes no time...

 

"C'mon, Wife... let's go," he orders, deliberately brusque to give notice that he intends to be the one in charge now.

 

But Young-Mi doesn't hear...

 

She is staring at Hyung-Chul, in utter shock over her sudden fall from the pinnacle of paradise to the pit of perdition. How could her plans have failed so quickly, without warning... everything she'd hoped for, lost ...

 

... it was Sun-Mi's fault ... deliberately telling In-Soo about the wedding, so she could snatch Hyung-Chul back ...

 

... someday, some way, she will get her revenge, she will see Sun-Mi's life ruined, too ...

 

 

Furious at being ignored, In-Soo slaps Young-Mi brutally across the cheek with the back of his hand.

 

"Uhhhh..." she moans in pain, tears smarting in her eyes.

 

"Still day-dreaming that the high-and-mighty Director would marry a slut like you?" In-Soo roars jealously. "I'll make sure that he never gives you a second glance...

 

Cruelly, he draws the point of the knife down from Young-Mi's ear to the corner of her lips, leaving a deep slash across her porcelain, smooth skin. Then with a second draw of the knife, from under her eye down to her jaw line, In-Soo completes a garish 'X' across her cheek.

 

The entire congregation sits in stunned silence, watching with horror as  blood runs down from the gashes, spattering bright red drops on Young-Mi's white gown... Despite the intense pain, she manages to keep a stoic silence.

 

"Get up!" In-Soo demands, grabbing her hand and jerking Young-Mi to her feet. "We're getting out of here!"

 

But before she takes a step, the sound of approaching police sirens comes through the open door of the church.

 

 

"It's over now. Give up!" Hyung-Chul orders. "Put down the knife!"

 

"I'll never surrender!" In-Soo retorts, waving the knife defiantly and declaring wildly, "If we die together, we'll be together, forever!"

 

Young-Mi looks into his eyes, and replies emotionlessly, "Go ahead ... What's left to live for anyway? Just kill me..."

 

In-Soo moves the knife to Young-Mi's throat...

 

"It's our fate... you and me," he smiles heartlessly, "to end it like this."

 

 

A woman -- already light-headed from the sight of Young-Mi's blood -- faints in the second pew. A woman next to her signals for help, as several of the ushers move forward to the woman's aid.

 

Hearing the commotion behind him, In-Soo instinctively turns to look...

 

Brandishing the knife toward the congregation, he orders, "Stay back! All of you! ... I'll kill anyone who tries to stop me!"

 

 

From the sacristy, Sun-Mi realizes this may be her only chance to save Young-Mi and her innocent baby -- In-Soo's back is to her, his attention distracted, and just three quick strides separate them...

 

The moment is now, or never. She swings the door open silently...

 

"Help me, Woo-Jin..." she whispers, unsure of her ability to succeed in what may be the most important three seconds of her life...

 

Holding the heavy candlestick high with both arms, determined to strike before In-Soo can react, Sun-Mi charges forward recklessly...

 

 

Instantly, In-Soo's second sense for danger, honed by a life on the streets, alerts him to the oncoming threat.

 

Shoving Young-Mi toward the priest, he fluidly pivots to face Sun-Mi's audacious charge...

 

Young-Mi stumbles over the hem of her long gown and goes down, landing awkwardly, her head cracking against the stone floor...

 

Sun-Mi is still one step away, allowing In-Soo just enough time to deftly sidestep the candlestick as she swings it down. It deflects harmlessly off his arm, but the sudden change of momentum throws Sun-Mi off-balance, and she crashes directly into him...

 

 

With a startled gasp, she looks up at In-Soo, wide-eyed, perplexed at the sudden, excruciating pain in her mid-section.

 

Just as astonished, it takes a few moments before In-Soo realizes what has happened. Grabbing Sun-Mi's arm with his free hand, he glares angrily into her face...

 

"I warned you to stay away, Jin Sun-Mi," he scolds her sternly. "Instead you had to play the hero, like Kim Woo-Jin..."

 

Then his eyes soften, "This isn't what I intended," he apologizes, "I'm sorry."

 

In-Soo pulls the knife out from Sun-Mi's waist, and releases her arm...

 

In a haze of searing pain and confusion, she staggers forward, bent double over a growing crimson stain on her suit...

 

 

A tomblike hush settles over the church as a stream of red appears, then another, trickling down her legs onto the polished, white limestone tiles.

 

Frozen in place, her face deathly pale, Sun-Mi's heavy, labored gasps are the only sound as she struggles to make sense of what is happening to her... Rapidly falling into shock, she wavers on the edge of consciousness...

 

The candlestick drops from her hands, bouncing on the floor with a loud ringing of metal on stone.

 

The clatter, resounding throughout the silent building, is like an alarm going off in Hyung-Chul's head...

 

Belatedly, he springs into action, lunging at In-Soo. His fist, backed by the full force of a headlong rush, catches In-Soo's jaw, sending him sprawling and the bloody knife skittering across the floor...

 

Hyung-Chul gets to Sun-Mi as her knees start to buckle, catching her before she collapses in a faint. Holding her fast in his arms, he eases Sun-Mi down, one hand cradling her head to elevate it slightly.

 

He puts pressure on the wound, slowing but not completely staunching the external bleeding. But internally, he knows her life is still seeping away...

 

"Sun-Mi!" he calls her name urgently, leaning over her. "If you can hear me, open your eyes."

 

She half opens her eyes, looking up at him, and between labored breaths, whispers, "I...... I'm...... so..... cold....."

 

"Don't talk anymore," he implores. "Save your strength... "

 

 

Stunned and groaning, struggling to sit up with the priest's help, Young-Mi looks over to where Sun-Mi is lying, soaked in blood. The sight triggers horrified memories of Woo-Jin dying before her eyes...

 

"No... it can't be... not again," she murmurs to herself, as her responsibility for another life given on her behalf sinks in.

 

 

Sun-Mi coughs twice... exhales with a low moan, and closes her eyes...

 

"Stay with me," Hyung-Chul desperately appeals. "Help is on the way."

 

Struggling for breath, her voice barely audible, she whispers, asking, "Senior? ... Is it ... you?"

 

"Yes, I'm here..." he replies. "We're all here, with you. You'll be all right, I promise."

 

In response, the shadow of a smile appears on her lips...

 

Then, inhaling a short, rasping gasp, Sun-Mi tenses momentarily, before her body goes limp and her head rolls listlessly to the side...

 

 

Young-Mi looks on at Sun-Mi -- lying unconscious in a pool of her own blood -- watching for any sign of life.

 

"Sun-Mi!" Hyung-Chul shouts, anxious for her to hear him... desperate for her to be alive... "Sun-Mi...!!!"

 

Seeing the hopelessness on his face... fearing the worst, fraught with guilt, and seized by frenzy, Young-Mi frantically screams...