Kang No-eul

"Yes. Are you going to disobey?"

"I have ways to make you obey me, darling."

"You are very cute, darling. But I won't quite tell you what happens if you disobey."

"Because then you will expect them. Surprises are always the best."

"Hm.. Do you deserve it darling?"

"Yes. Are you going to disobey?"

"I have ways to make you obey me, darling."

"You are very cute, darling. But I won't quite tell you what happens if you disobey."

"Because then you will expect them. Surprises are always the best."

"Yes. Are you going to disobey?"

"I have ways to make you obey me, darling."

"You are very cute, darling. But I won't quite tell you what happens if you disobey."

"I can find you some."

"Not sure, darling."

"Yes. Are you going to disobey?"

"I have ways to make you obey me, darling."

"I can find you some."

"Yes. Are you going to disobey?"

"I don't know... I used to visit a rollercoaster ride every day. A woman was sitting there... she had the same voice as you. We used to talk every day about life and just everything that was going on."

*Se-mi's voice was soft, almost nostalgic, as she spoke. Her eyes flickered with a distant memory, a hint of longing buried beneath her usual confident demeanor. She wasn’t sure why she was even bringing it up—it just slipped out, like a piece of the past she hadn't meant to share*

No-eul knew what Se-mi was talking about but she had to act as if she didn't." I'm not so sure what you are talking about." She spoke softly. It pained her to lie like that.

"Yeah... maybe I just imagined it." *Her words were casual, dismissive even, but there was a flicker of something deeper in her eyes. She glanced away, pretending not to notice the hesitation in No-Eul’s voice* "Guess I’ve just been thinking about the past too much."

"Better than our current situations, isn't it? I mean, you're playing these games, and I have to shoot the losers. I'd say being stuck in the past is better than being in the present currently." No-eul replies.

*Se-mi let out a breath, a quiet huff of amusement that didn’t quite reach her eyes* "Yeah… can’t argue with that."

*Her gaze flickered back to No-Eul* "Funny, though. Back then, I thought life was hard. Now I’d give anything to go back." *She tilted her head slightly, watching No-Eul carefully* "But you… you didn’t have to pull the trigger back then, did you?"

No-eul shakes her head." I just had to worry about saving up the money to get my daughter back to me... That's all..." She states lowly

*Without thinking too much about it, Se-Mi stepped closer, her usual guardedness cracking just a little* "Hey…" *she said softly, her voice losing its usual edge* "You’re doing everything you can for her. That has to mean something, right?"

*She hesitated, then gently placed a hand on No-Eul’s arm, a rare gesture of comfort from someone who wasn’t usually the comforting type* "I don’t know how this all ends… but if you’re fighting for her, then you can’t lose yourself in this place. She needs you."

*Her grip tightened slightly, just for a second, before she pulled back* "You’re not alone in this."

"I'm doing so much, yet it never feels like enough..." No-eul speaks and frowns softly." She's stuck up north.. I've missed so many of her birthdays... I've missed so many milestones in her life..."

*She sighed, shaking her head* "That doesn’t mean she’s lost to you." *Her voice was firm but not harsh, her gaze steady as she looked at No-Eul* "Kids… they don’t count the years you were gone. They count the moments you come back."

*Se-mi hesitated before continuing, her tone softer now* "I know it feels like you’re running out of time, like no matter how much you do, it’ll never be enough… but she’s still waiting for you, right? That means there’s still a chance."

*She offered a small, almost sad smile* "And as long as there’s a chance, you don’t stop fighting. You’re her mom. That means something. That always means something."

"It's been 15 years... I've missed 15 years of her life... her first steps, her first word, her first everything... I missed it all..." No-eul slumped down against the wall and fought back tears.

*Se-mi crouched down beside No-Eul, resting her arms on her knees as she watched her struggle to hold back tears. It was rare to see someone break like this in a place where emotions were a weakness, but Se-Mi didn’t look away*

"Fifteen years is a long time… I won’t lie to you about that." *Her voice was quiet, honest* "But she’s still your daughter. No amount of time changes that."

*She hesitated, then gently placed a hand on No-Eul’s shoulder, grounding her* "You missed a lot, yeah… but that doesn’t mean you can’t still be there for her. Maybe you weren’t there for her first steps, but you can be there for the rest. You can still fight to get her back."*

*Se-mi gave her shoulder a light squeeze before pulling away, letting her have her space* "It’s not too late, Not yet."

"Who... Who knows if she even wants to see me at all... She's been with her dad her whole life... I had no choice when I left... I had to leave her behind..." No-eul rambles quietly and looks up at the ceiling." Why are you so... open to listening to me...?"

"I don't know... I used to visit a rollercoaster ride every day. A woman was sitting there... she had the same voice as you. We used to talk every day about life and just everything that was going on."

*Se-mi's voice was soft, almost nostalgic, as she spoke. Her eyes flickered with a distant memory, a hint of longing buried beneath her usual confident demeanor. She wasn’t sure why she was even bringing it up—it just slipped out, like a piece of the past she hadn't meant to share*

No-eul knew what Se-mi was talking about but she had to act as if she didn't." I'm not so sure what you are talking about." She spoke softly. It pained her to lie like that.

"Yeah... maybe I just imagined it." *Her words were casual, dismissive even, but there was a flicker of something deeper in her eyes. She glanced away, pretending not to notice the hesitation in No-Eul’s voice* "Guess I’ve just been thinking about the past too much."

"Better than our current situations, isn't it? I mean, you're playing these games, and I have to shoot the losers. I'd say being stuck in the past is better than being in the present currently." No-eul replies.

*Se-mi let out a breath, a quiet huff of amusement that didn’t quite reach her eyes* "Yeah… can’t argue with that."

*Her gaze flickered back to No-Eul* "Funny, though. Back then, I thought life was hard. Now I’d give anything to go back." *She tilted her head slightly, watching No-Eul carefully* "But you… you didn’t have to pull the trigger back then, did you?"

No-eul shakes her head." I just had to worry about saving up the money to get my daughter back to me... That's all..." She states lowly

*Without thinking too much about it, Se-Mi stepped closer, her usual guardedness cracking just a little* "Hey…" *she said softly, her voice losing its usual edge* "You’re doing everything you can for her. That has to mean something, right?"

*She hesitated, then gently placed a hand on No-Eul’s arm, a rare gesture of comfort from someone who wasn’t usually the comforting type* "I don’t know how this all ends… but if you’re fighting for her, then you can’t lose yourself in this place. She needs you."

*Her grip tightened slightly, just for a second, before she pulled back* "You’re not alone in this."

"I'm doing so much, yet it never feels like enough..." No-eul speaks and frowns softly." She's stuck up north.. I've missed so many of her birthdays... I've missed so many milestones in her life..."

*She sighed, shaking her head* "That doesn’t mean she’s lost to you." *Her voice was firm but not harsh, her gaze steady as she looked at No-Eul* "Kids… they don’t count the years you were gone. They count the moments you come back."

*Se-mi hesitated before continuing, her tone softer now* "I know it feels like you’re running out of time, like no matter how much you do, it’ll never be enough… but she’s still waiting for you, right? That means there’s still a chance."

*She offered a small, almost sad smile* "And as long as there’s a chance, you don’t stop fighting. You’re her mom. That means something. That always means something."

"It's been 15 years... I've missed 15 years of her life... her first steps, her first word, her first everything... I missed it all..." No-eul slumped down against the wall and fought back tears.

"I don't know... I used to visit a rollercoaster ride every day. A woman was sitting there... she had the same voice as you. We used to talk every day about life and just everything that was going on."

*Se-mi's voice was soft, almost nostalgic, as she spoke. Her eyes flickered with a distant memory, a hint of longing buried beneath her usual confident demeanor. She wasn’t sure why she was even bringing it up—it just slipped out, like a piece of the past she hadn't meant to share*

No-eul knew what Se-mi was talking about but she had to act as if she didn't." I'm not so sure what you are talking about." She spoke softly. It pained her to lie like that.

"Yeah... maybe I just imagined it." *Her words were casual, dismissive even, but there was a flicker of something deeper in her eyes. She glanced away, pretending not to notice the hesitation in No-Eul’s voice* "Guess I’ve just been thinking about the past too much."

"Better than our current situations, isn't it? I mean, you're playing these games, and I have to shoot the losers. I'd say being stuck in the past is better than being in the present currently." No-eul replies.

*Se-mi let out a breath, a quiet huff of amusement that didn’t quite reach her eyes* "Yeah… can’t argue with that."

*Her gaze flickered back to No-Eul* "Funny, though. Back then, I thought life was hard. Now I’d give anything to go back." *She tilted her head slightly, watching No-Eul carefully* "But you… you didn’t have to pull the trigger back then, did you?"

No-eul shakes her head." I just had to worry about saving up the money to get my daughter back to me... That's all..." She states lowly

*Without thinking too much about it, Se-Mi stepped closer, her usual guardedness cracking just a little* "Hey…" *she said softly, her voice losing its usual edge* "You’re doing everything you can for her. That has to mean something, right?"

*She hesitated, then gently placed a hand on No-Eul’s arm, a rare gesture of comfort from someone who wasn’t usually the comforting type* "I don’t know how this all ends… but if you’re fighting for her, then you can’t lose yourself in this place. She needs you."

*Her grip tightened slightly, just for a second, before she pulled back* "You’re not alone in this."

"I'm doing so much, yet it never feels like enough..." No-eul speaks and frowns softly." She's stuck up north.. I've missed so many of her birthdays... I've missed so many milestones in her life..."

"I don't know... I used to visit a rollercoaster ride every day. A woman was sitting there... she had the same voice as you. We used to talk every day about life and just everything that was going on."

*Se-mi's voice was soft, almost nostalgic, as she spoke. Her eyes flickered with a distant memory, a hint of longing buried beneath her usual confident demeanor. She wasn’t sure why she was even bringing it up—it just slipped out, like a piece of the past she hadn't meant to share*

No-eul knew what Se-mi was talking about but she had to act as if she didn't." I'm not so sure what you are talking about." She spoke softly. It pained her to lie like that.

"Yeah... maybe I just imagined it." *Her words were casual, dismissive even, but there was a flicker of something deeper in her eyes. She glanced away, pretending not to notice the hesitation in No-Eul’s voice* "Guess I’ve just been thinking about the past too much."

"Better than our current situations, isn't it? I mean, you're playing these games, and I have to shoot the losers. I'd say being stuck in the past is better than being in the present currently." No-eul replies.

*Se-mi let out a breath, a quiet huff of amusement that didn’t quite reach her eyes* "Yeah… can’t argue with that."

*Her gaze flickered back to No-Eul* "Funny, though. Back then, I thought life was hard. Now I’d give anything to go back." *She tilted her head slightly, watching No-Eul carefully* "But you… you didn’t have to pull the trigger back then, did you?"

No-eul shakes her head." I just had to worry about saving up the money to get my daughter back to me... That's all..." She states lowly

"I don't know... I used to visit a rollercoaster ride every day. A woman was sitting there... she had the same voice as you. We used to talk every day about life and just everything that was going on."

*Se-mi's voice was soft, almost nostalgic, as she spoke. Her eyes flickered with a distant memory, a hint of longing buried beneath her usual confident demeanor. She wasn’t sure why she was even bringing it up—it just slipped out, like a piece of the past she hadn't meant to share*

No-eul knew what Se-mi was talking about but she had to act as if she didn't." I'm not so sure what you are talking about." She spoke softly. It pained her to lie like that.

"Yeah... maybe I just imagined it." *Her words were casual, dismissive even, but there was a flicker of something deeper in her eyes. She glanced away, pretending not to notice the hesitation in No-Eul’s voice* "Guess I’ve just been thinking about the past too much."

"Better than our current situations, isn't it? I mean, you're playing these games, and I have to shoot the losers. I'd say being stuck in the past is better than being in the present currently." No-eul replies.

"I don't know... I used to visit a rollercoaster ride every day. A woman was sitting there... she had the same voice as you. We used to talk every day about life and just everything that was going on."

*Se-mi's voice was soft, almost nostalgic, as she spoke. Her eyes flickered with a distant memory, a hint of longing buried beneath her usual confident demeanor. She wasn’t sure why she was even bringing it up—it just slipped out, like a piece of the past she hadn't meant to share*

No-eul knew what Se-mi was talking about but she had to act as if she didn't." I'm not so sure what you are talking about." She spoke softly. It pained her to lie like that.