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『 year 1962 』

A big house stood in the middle of a forest, shrouded by towering trees and a gloomy sky. The moonlight struggled to penetrate through the branches, making it difficult for her to see. She had no idea where she was or how she had ended up there. If she screamed, no one would hear her. Time seemed like a mystery too, as there were no calendars, radios, or televisions in the house.

Whenever she thought about her fiancé, she realized it had been a long time. His name would float around in her head, driving her nearly insane. She longed to speak with him, to hear his voice. However, his name had become a forbidden word in the house.

She curled into a ball, hugging her knees, yearning to be held in his arms once again. But then a thought crossed her mind: Would he still accept her? Her body bore the scars of his rage.

"Honey!" Her breath caught in her throat at the sound of a loud voice. She sank onto the bed and closed her eyes, pulling the duvet over her. "I bought your favorite," the owner of the voice said.

"Honey." A slender hand gripped the hem of the duvet, hiding her face. A warm smile greeted her, and the aroma of her favorite dish filled the air, but it didn't awaken her appetite. "Let's eat. I'll take you out later. It's not good to stay in the house for so long."

Hye-ryeong sat up and moved closer to him. The need to be near him wouldn't have been so strong if her glasses hadn't been damaged. "Where?" she asked cautiously.

The man raised an eyebrow and replied, "Oh! There's a river nearby. We can have some fun."

Hye-ryeong's expectations shattered. In a small voice, she responded, "Ah... That's... great."

The man gave her an icy stare. "What's with that reaction?" he asked in a low, sinister tone.

Hye-ryeong remained silent for a moment before summoning the courage to speak. "How long have we been here?"

The man continued to stare at her, his glare unreadable. Knowing his nature, she braced herself for the worst. "Why does it matter to you?" he asked in the same tone.

"I... I miss my family," she said, a tear streaming down her cheek.

He clenched his jaw, his fist forming on his thigh. Food spilled on the floor as he tossed the container aside. Suddenly, he grabbed her hair and yanked her head back. As he drew her closer, she felt his enraged breath. "How many times do I have to tell you? It's just you and me. You belong to me, and no one can take you away!"

Hye-ryeong whimpered. "You're hurting me, Taehyung-ah."

"Once I've finished everything, I'll take you out of Korea. You'll be mine alone. We'll get married and—"

"I don't want to marry you! I'm not in love with you!"

Taehyung snarled an expletive and tightened his grip on her hair. "Why? Why?" he yelled. "Haven't I done enough for you?"

"What have you done for me?" Hye-ryeong grumbled. "All you've done is abuse me, use me, and show me how twisted love can be! You're nothing like Seokjin." When Taehyung tightened his grip even more, she shrieked in pain. "That hurts, Tae-Taehyung!"

"I'm nothing like Seokjin?" He murmured, his teeth clenched. "I don't want to be a fool like him. When things get in my way, I do whatever I want, and I always come out on top." Almost nuzzling her face, he pulled her closer. "I stabbed him, twisted my knife in his flesh. And I'm certain he's no longer alive. I made sure no one would take care of him at the hospital."

Tears streamed down her face as she struggled to comprehend Taehyung's callousness. "How could you? He's your brother!"

"Brother?" Taehyung snickered. "F*ck. He was never my brother to begin with."

"But you shared the same family."

"Sure, we had the same father, but different mothers. How can you call that 'the same family'? He won't get away with having the same surname."

"Taehyung..." Hye-ryeong groaned, her head throbbing with pain. "This is wrong. What you're doing is wrong," she added, her voice cracking.

Taehyung smiled, a warm expression on his face, but there was an underlying sinister intent in his eyes. "This feels right to me," he softly remarked.

"Your actions, Taehyung, are illegal!"

Taehyung calmly observed the woman struggling in his grip before saying, "you don't need to worry about that." He released his grip and stroked his fingers across her skin. "I have everything under control."

**********

Taehyung was taking a shower while she lay alone on the couch, staring into nothingness. After their altercation, exhaustion overcame her. She felt numb, dizzy, and disoriented.

It took her a while to regain her senses. At that moment, she contemplated escaping. She had carefully analyzed the structure of the house, and the only obstacle was pinpointing its exact location. If she could find her way out, she would run as far as her feet could carry her. If the entrance door was unlocked and there were no guards outside, it would be her chance.

Hye-ryeong limped out of bed and made her way toward the window. Clouds drifted across the dark sky, illuminated by the moon's faint glow. She could feel the chill of the night through her palm pressed against the window. Given her condition, leaving the house in just sleeveless nightwear was risky, but she didn't want to waste time searching for warmer clothing. She had no choice.

She hurriedly grabbed a big towel from a basket and wrapped it around her head and shoulders.

And then, she left.

**********

As Taehyung stepped out of the bathroom, he briskly dried his wet hair with a towel. When he glanced at the bed, he realized it was empty. Anxious thoughts flooded his mind, and he hurried to the door, hoping it was still open. As he rushed to the next room, he discovered that the living room door was wide open as well.

"Shit!" He flung the towel to the ground, snatched his car keys from the drawer, and dashed out of the house in search of her.

He drove fast and far, scanning left, right, and straight ahead, desperate not to miss her. Rage and frustration welled up inside him, and he pounded the steering wheel in anger.

Bang!

His vehicle jolted as if hitting a road bump, but there were no bumps or potholes in sight. He quickly pressed the brake pedal and got out of his car. The front trunk had a sizable dent. He scowled, pushing his raven hair back, and struck the car with his fist. Then he set out to investigate what he might have collided with.

He cautiously approached the back of his car and was horrified to find a motionless woman lying there. Blood pooled on the ground, tracing a chilling path. It suddenly dawned on him that he recognized her figure. He knelt down gently, brushing the hair away from her face. "No," he whispered.

Growing increasingly anxious, he checked for signs of breathing and a pulse, but there was no indication of life. "No. No. H-Hye-ryeong," he muttered, his voice trembling. Despite shaking her, there was no response.

With no other options, he glanced around before carefully lifting her into his car and driving away from the scene. By chance, his car passed a nearby farm, and he decided that "borrowing" a shovel would be necessary.

He arrived at a secluded spot, accessible only to a few people, and began digging into the ground.

(1328 words; EDITED
number of words change)