BACK IN TIME
667 Words
Ahn Cho Hyun opened her eyes to be greeted by a bright, misty light. At first, she thought it was heaven and nearly cursed, but upon standing up, she saw her disheveled reflection on a flat-screen TV. Glancing around, she realized she was in her own apartment, clad in her favorite pajamas, not a hospital bed.
"How can I be here? I'm sure I got into an accident..." she mumbled, her confusion evident. "I should be at the hospital, not in my apartment."
Could it have been a dream? That thought crossed her mind as she shivered, vividly recalling the intense dream. Every detail felt real – the impact of the collision, the searing pain before her eyes closed. It felt as if she were being torn apart; every part of her body ached.
*Ding.*
A sudden, sharp bell sound interrupted her thoughts, drawing her attention to her nightstand where a notification from her phone flashed. Her eyes widened in surprise as she checked the time.
She cursed and tossed the phone aside, realizing she had overslept and was now running late for work. Getting out of bed, she unexpectedly collapsed, only to discover her bedsheet tangled around her ankle. Annoyed, she struggled to free herself before hurrying to get dressed.
After her bath and dressing up, she examined herself in the mirror and began applying makeup, noticing a small scar on her forehead, seemingly from an accident. Feeling nervous, she tried to rub it away, but her efforts were in vain.
It was real.
Ahn Cho Hyun couldn't believe it; she was certain she had no scars before. She laughed at the absurdity but then noticed another, larger scar on her hand, as if she'd been cut by a sharp object.
"Accident..." she muttered, laughing ironically.
"Did I... go back in time?" Ahn Cho Hyun pondered, considering the bizarre sequence of events. It might sound implausible, but there seemed to be no other explanation. From a dream to scars on her body, it was surreal. The pain she felt before waking up was searing.
As she tried to make sense of it all, her phone rang. In a state of confusion, she answered the call.
"Ahn Cho Hyun, my beautiful daughter," her mother's voice echoed.
"Today, will you come to the Moon Hotel?" her mother's words mirrored those from her dream, the resemblance uncanny.
"Today is the 50th anniversary of our company. Even though you're not an employee here, the fact that you are our precious daughter is enough for you to come."
"No," she blurted out unconsciously.
"W-what? Chohyun, did you say something? Sorry, Mom didn't hear it."
Ahn Cho Hyun gathered herself and confirmed her decision, "No, I'm not coming."
She realized the truth and couldn't deny it any longer. Memories of the accident flooded back, from getting into the car to the collision.
She died once. She couldn't believe it, but the scars and the memories left no room for doubt.
"I can't believe it... I did return to the past! Why? How?" she wondered aloud.
Then, her mother's voice pulled her back to reality. Her mother's concern contrasted with the surreal events Ahn Cho Hyun had just experienced.
"Chohyun... Did something happen? I heard things falling?"
Ahn Cho Hyun couldn't believe the conclusion her mind was drawing – the scar on her forehead, the one on her palm, both matching the accident.
"Ahn Cho Hyun, my beautiful daughter," her mother's words replayed in her mind.
"Today, will you come to the Moon Hotel?"
"No."
"Chohyun, did you say something? Sorry, Mom didn't hear it."
"No, I'm not coming."
As she hung up, Ahn Cho Hyun slammed her phone on the table and stared at her reflection in the mirror. She gathered her thoughts.
"I can't believe I returned to the past, where I was supposed to die."
Determined, she had one clear goal this time. She wouldn't repeat her past mistake. She wouldn't die in that accident.
"I'm going to start dating!"
- Writer
