บท 215: Natural Actress, Lee Yeo Ri

Outside of Room 302, a man stood in front of the door for a long time, neither knocking nor moving.

The man contemplated on the events which had led him to this moment. The time when he got caught by those two detectives, the time when he agreed to assist them, the time when he joined the first raid team, the time when it was decided that he would sneak into that organised crime organisation's headquarters... his memories flashed in his mind as he squeezed his eyes tightly.

He had been given the chance to see his one and only family member for the last time before the crew sets off for the big operation, and he'd taken the chance without hesitation. But now... he wondered if he shouldn't have.

After several moments of deep thought, he finally made his decision to push open the sliding door, and stepped into the room.

A girl was lying on the bed, her eyes closed. Upon hearing the clattering of the opened door, she slowly opened her eyes and fixed her gaze on her visitor.

A smile slowly spread on her face as she recognised him. "'Oppa? What brings you here?'"

The man offered her a brief smile, chuckling, "'Hey, is it that strange for your brother to visit you?'"

"'No... of course not,'" she giggled, "'It's just that you're always so busy that I hardly ever see you.'"

The man winced at her light-hearted words. "'Sorry,'" he apologised, grimacing.

"'Why are you sorry? It's my fault that you have to work so hard.'" She lowered her eyes to look at the man's hands that were wrapped with gauze. "'My hospital bills...'" she sighed, tearing her eyes away from his hands painfully. She vaguely knew what kind of price he had to pay for her sake, but out of consideration for her brother, she played dumb.

"'No, what are you saying? How is it your fault...'" The man said, his tone light. However, one could clearly hear the sadness within his voice.

The two sat in silence.

"'Listen,'" he started, raising his eyes to look at his dear sister. "'Oppa... Oppa has to go away on a business trip for some time.'"

"'...'"

The man and the young girl stared into each others' eyes. The man's eyes showed hesitance, conflict, worry, and sorrow.

"'I... I promise I won't take long. When I get back, I'll visit you every day, okay?'" He said, stuttering. He didn't know whether he could fulfil the promise. Deep down, he even contemplated on ditching the whole operation altogether... but he knew that that was impossible. It was either the immunity deal, jail, or death.

He didn't have any other choice.

For the sake of his sister's treatment, he'd done so many bad things, and the karma had came to bite him. If he ran away, then his sister would also be in trouble. In any case, not only the police, but even the mobsters were waiting to pounce at him after what he had done. He had to take them down before they could hurt his loved ones, even if it meant risking his own life.

Seeing the determination and grimness in his gaze, the girl knew that this time, it was serious. This time, it was not just some harmless Robin Hood-style job. She also knew that there was a high possibility of her brother breaking his promise.

The girl pursed her lips tightly for a split second before pushing herself to smile. Her eyes reddened but she continued to smile, "'Mm.'"

Then, his phone rang.

The man took it out and glimpsed at the caller ID.

It was time.

He turned back to his sister and offered one last smile. "'Oppa will be going now. Take care, okay?'"

He turned away from her, his back looking as if he was carrying a huge burden.

For a split second, Yeo Ri could see her brothers' figure superimposed on her co-star.

"...!"

"Oppa!" She blurted out. Yeo Ri grasped the railing of her hospital bed instinctively, looking as if she wanted to reach out for the man.

However, when the man turned around again, she finally calmed down and snapped out of it. Yeo Ri took a deep breath and returned to her lines. She released her grip on the railing and laced her fingers together on her lap. Unconsciously, she played with her fingers.

The man seemed surprised at the sudden shout. However, he quickly recovered and hid his grim emotions, "'What is it?'"

She smiled gently at the man.

"'...Oppa,'" she repeated.

"'Oppa.'"

"'Y-yeah?'"

"'Woo Han-oppa,'" she breathlessly repeated, as if she was trying to ingrain his name in her mind. "'Oppa.'"

"'...?'"

"'Don't worry about me.'" She smiled, a melancholic expression on her face. "'You've worked really hard these past ten years. I think... it's time for you to live for yourself.'"

"'W-what are you talking abou—'"

"'Oppa,'" she interrupted him, "'Don't let me hold you back.'"

"'Oppa, it's time to let me go.'"

"'Let me go, Oppa.'"

The man's face fell. His eyes were wide and red, as if he couldn't understand what he had just heard. However, her shocking words allowed him to finally notice the girl truly and wholly.

His sister had been living in the hospital room, on that bed, all alone. She had wasted many, many of her youthful days due to her sickness. Her life was akin to the living dead; only able to look at the world through a tiny window in this small room.

Her figure looked so fragile, wrapped in those loose clothes that seemed to weigh her down. Her skin was pale, and her wrists were so thin. Her lips were colourless, and she exuded an air of frailty and exhaustion. It was as if a slight wind was all it would take to blow her away.

However, despite everything, her expression was that of peace, and acceptance.

"'Why...'"

She smiled. There was no darkness in her gaze, only peacefulness.

At that moment, it finally hit him: she was ready to face death.

After a decade-long fight, she had grown tired. She knew it was almost time for her to go, and that no current treatment could cure her of her illness.

The girl tilted her head slightly, staring at the window.

Located in central Seoul, the outside scenery was that of a concrete jungle. The room, unlike Yeo Ri's old room, did not face any sort of greenery. Outside the window, there were only towering buildings, roads congested with vehicles, and droves of pedestrians walking at a fast pace.

The girl's figure created an imagery as if she longed for the life of the people outside. 'To be normal—what a wonderful dream,' she seemed to think.

"'Oppa, live the life you want. Eat good food, rest on the weekends, go on vacations, don't get sick or hurt.'"

"'Fall in love, get married, have kids... all the things that I couldn't do—that you couldn't do before—please, if you can't do it for yourself, then do it for me.'"

"'Oppa, this is my last wish. Please, be happy.'"

"'Please, don't let me hold you back.'"

Yeo Ri delivered her lines with the utmost sincerity. These lines... it made her heart hurt too. It was all the things she wished she could say to her brothers.

But... she won't. 'Let me be selfish for a little while longer, Gun-oppa, Hyuk-oppa,' she whispered in her heart. 'Let me monopolise you for just a little bit longer...'

The man seemed to have choked himself with his unshed tears from her speech.

They locked eyes once again; the man, with his sorrowful but resolute gaze, and the girl, with her affectionate and calm gaze.

Time seemed to have stretched to eternity between them before she finally sent him off on his way.

"'Go. It's fine if you don't come back. I... don't think I want to wait for you anymore, Oppa,'" she chuckled softly.

"'Don't say that. Your brother... will definitely come back, so wait for me. Please.'"

After saying his piece, he left.

Outside the room, the man managed to take a few steps before he crumbled down, burying his face in his hands as he cried silently. In the end, there was nothing he could do! Once again, he could only watch as another loved one leaves his side!

Alone in the room, the girl turned to the window once more, the glass faintly reflecting her reflection.

"Ah..." Yeo Ri gripped the blanket tightly, her shoulders suddenly shaking. She let out a long sigh, before she started to sob quietly.

"—Hurts...don't leave..." Yeo Ri's eyes clouded with tears.

The setting and the lines had brought her back to those days when she could only wait for Gun to come visit her.

Unable to move without assistance, Yeo Ri was confined to the bed for the longest time. She missed her brothers so much, but there was little she could do. She could not visit Hyuk due to her physical limitations. When she finally got better, she still could not see him since his visitation rights were often taken away due to his misbehaviour. Gun, too, only came back to check up on her briefly after school, and would often return to her room late at night. He was a senior, and on top of working to support them, he still had to prepare for exams. He was so busy to the point where Yeo Ri felt like she was the most useless little sh*t in the world.

'You useless little sl*t,' her devil hissed, 'Nobody needs you, you waste of space!'

'You're right,' she whispered to her devil, who took on the face of the b*stard she hated the most, 'I am a useless little sl*t.'

'But you were also wrong,' she glanced at the devil with conviction, 'Because, in this world, there are two people who loves me unconditionally... so it's fine, even if I don't see any value in myself.'

"—Cut!" The director's voice sounded in the sombre and silent area, breaking the tension in the air. "That was wonderful. Good work!"

Finally, a smile bloomed on Yeo Ri's face.