Areum, who was finally found by Tae Jun, was unconscious and foaming at the mouth in the middle of Saga's apartment. Rushed to the hospital, Tae Jun, with many questions in his mind, didn't want the only person he could ask to die just like that. Areum was being treated in the emergency room, and the doctors and nurses were trying to bring the girl back to consciousness, becoming frantic when they learned that Areum had intentionally taken a sleeping pill overdose. The doctor tried to pump Areum's stomach, hoping it wasn't too late.

Once again, in the hustle and bustle of the emergency room, Areum could hear Saga calling her name. However, Areum struggled to open her eyes and could only whimper softly, calling Saga.

"Just let me die; I want to join Saga. I want to be by his side. Meeting in the next life is too long, and I don't want to wait."

Areum finally gave up trying to hold on; she chose to be unconscious again. She closed her eyes tightly, hoping to meet Saga, the man she secretly loved, without him knowing. The EKG machine beeped for a long time, and all the doctors and nurses looked sad. The head doctor shook his head gently and announced Areum's time of death.

***

The slightly loud alarm woke the two sleeping people, embracing each other and causing them to stir. Areum, who woke up first, opened her eyes and was surprised to see Saga sleeping while hugging her. Areum blinked a few times, gathering her thoughts that had been wandering around. She then gently touched Saga's cheek hesitantly.

"Am I dreaming?" Areum wondered in her heart.

Very carefully, Areum then softly stroked Saga's cheek.

"What are you doing, Areum? It's still too early."

Saga's hoarse voice, just waking up, made Areum even more surprised.

Areum released herself from Saga's embrace and moved backward. Her eyes were now teary with a mix of sadness and joy. Saga, also surprised by what Areum was doing, opened his eyes and looked at Areum with a puzzled expression.

"What's wrong? Did you forget Eomma is here? Don't be noisy, or Eomma will realize that we're just pretending to be married," Saga whispered with his usual expressionless face.

Areum remembered that today was the day she slept in the same room with Saga again because of his mother. She remembered this long before she asked for a divorce from Saga when she found out the reasons behind their marriage and accepted their arranged marriage.

But what Areum vividly remembered was that Saga was no longer there. She even cried and sat in front of the pine tree that she chose to bury Saga's ashes that day until night, and Tae Jun came to pick her up. Areum even decided to end her life because she wanted to join Saga.

Saga furrowed his brow, becoming more confused, seeing Areum not responding to his words and staring at him with teary eyes instead. Soon, sobs could be heard from Areum's small lips. Saga was shocked because it was the first time he saw Areum cry in front of him. Saga moved closer and hugged Areum tightly.

"Why? Why are you crying? What's wrong? Sorry, I didn't mean to scold you or anything. I just wanted to remind you that Eomma is in this house," Saga said, feeling genuinely guilty.

Areum didn't say anything; instead, she hugged Saga tightly and rambled about things Saga didn't understand. Saga then let go of the hug when he heard his wife saying that she intentionally took sleeping pills to die.

"Hey! What are you saying? Why would you die? Are you having a bad dream?" Saga asked while looking closely at Areum and tracing the swollen face of his wife.

Areum didn't answer; she just stared at Saga. Then she nodded, confirming Saga's question.

"Never leave me, especially not because you want to protect me," Areum pleaded.

"Huh?"
Saga needed clarification on Areum's words. Nevertheless, he nodded to his wife's request.

Areum, in turn, hugged Saga again without hesitation. Saga was slightly surprised by what Areum was doing, but he still warmly responded to Areum's hug. Saga patted Areum's back gently to make his wife a little calmer.

"Where's Areum?" Mrs. Min asked, who had just prepared breakfast.

"Oh... she's feeling a bit unwell. So, I asked her to go back to sleep," Saga replied while stirring chocolate milk for Areum.

Mrs. Min's eyes lit up hearing Saga's answer.
"Hey! Is Areum pregnant?" Mrs. Min asked enthusiastically.

Saga widened his eyes in surprise. How could Areum be pregnant if he had never done anything to her? They had only married as a contract, and that time was almost up.

"Eomma! Why always talk about children? You're ruining my mood early in the morning," Saga grumbled, then carried the chocolate milk to his room.

"It's been a year since you two got married. Why haven't you thought about children yet?" Mrs. Min asked, slightly annoyed by Saga's response about children.

"I intentionally want a child-free life. I want to live with Areum alone until old age," Saga replied, leaving the kitchen and returning to his room.

Areum, listening to her husband and mother-in-law's conversation, sat slowly on the bed. Her face looked confused now.
"What is this? Why is Saga's answer the same as what he said that day? Although all the scenes and events have changed, unlike that day. Why is it like this?" Areum questioned and tried to understand everything that was happening now.

***

After the mother-in-law and her husband left for work, Areum, Saga's secretary, was allowed to take a day off today. Saga knew his wife was sick but was unwilling to say what was happening. Now, Areum sat in the middle of Saga's luxurious apartment, holding a calendar.

"What does this mean? Why am I back to 6 months before the divorce incident?" Areum mumbled to herself, wondering.

Areum then circled the date when she and Saga officially divorced. December 20, 2021, just a day before Saga had an accident and eventually died.

"Am I given a chance to change everything?" Areum asked herself again.

"If so, where should I start? The most important thing is not to divorce. Because that's the main reason Saga left me just like that."

"I have to convince you one more thing. I must go to the office this afternoon to see if my calculations are correct. Saga will go on a business trip with Secretary Han and won't allow me to join. I must join and find out what will happen on this business trip later."

"Because after returning from that business trip, Saga became colder to me."

Areum had decided to start her life journey with Saga. She wanted to fix what went wrong before Saga's death. Areum squeezed the book she held tightly.

"At least this is my chance to tell him that I like him and don't want to divorce him," Areum whispered, then looked at the wedding photo of her and Saga hanging in the living room.
***