The blinding glare of the truck's headlights consumed Suho's vision.
Death seemed to stand right in front of him—looming, inevitable, ready to claim him.
Suho had closed his eyes, surrendering himself to the final impact that would end his hollow existence.
But then—a piercing scream tore through the night.
A sudden, violent force shoved him off the road.
Suho stumbled backward, gasping for air, his heart hammering against his ribs.
And there, lying on the asphalt where he had stood moments ago, was a girl.
It was Shini.
She had risked her life to push him out of harm's way, and in the chaos, her head struck the ground with a sickening thud.
She lay motionless, unconscious, a haunting testament to her bravery.
The truck screeched to a halt, the driver screaming in shock, but within seconds, the vehicle vanished into the night, leaving behind a trail of smoke and a deafening silence.
Suho, who had moments ago welcomed death, now trembled with a mix of shock, horror, and disbelief.
His hands shook as he crawled toward her, lifting her gently into his arms.
"She—she could have died!" he whispered, his voice breaking.
Shini's weight felt impossibly light, yet the burden of her courage pressed down on him like a mountain.
He carried her to his car with frantic urgency, laying her across the backseat.
His own hands were slick with sweat, drying tears streaking his face.
He slid into the driver's seat, started the engine, and tore into the night.
Every glance at the rearview mirror confirmed his worst fears—Shini's pale, unmoving face stared back at him, and he felt a pang of helplessness he had never known.
"Why… why did you do this?" he muttered, voice jagged, trembling with frustration and guilt.
"Who even are you?
Why would you risk yourself for me?
Are you insane?"
But there was no time for answers.
The streets blurred past him as he weaved through traffic with reckless speed.
For the first time in his life, thoughts of his mother, her indifference, and her cold wealth faded into nothingness.
There was only one truth, one obsession, one purpose: Shini.
"I won't let anything happen to you… do you hear me?"
he whispered, voice raw.
"You have to be okay. You have to wake up… you have to live!"
The city roared around him, but Suho felt only the fragile weight of the girl in his arms—and the burning promise that he would never let her sacrifice go in vain.