At that very moment, Minji was cruising down the same road, lost in the rhythm of her favorite song. The windows of her sleek, silver car were rolled down, the cool night air a welcome reprieve from the sweltering day. She tapped her fingers on the steering wheel, absentmindedly singing along to the lyrics.
Suddenly, headlights illuminated a figure standing in the middle of the road. Minji's heart leaped into her throat. She slammed on the brakes, the tires screeching in protest. The car jolted to a halt just a few feet from Ryo.
Adrenaline coursed through her veins. She gripped the steering wheel, her knuckles white. She leaned on the horn, a long, piercing blast that shattered the city's lull.
"Hey!" she yelled, her voice laced with anger and fear. "Are you deaf? Why are you stood in the middle of the road? Are you mad?!"
Ryo slowly turned, his movements sluggish and uncoordinated. His eyes were bloodshot and unfocused, reflecting the city lights in a distorted, watery haze. He blinked, trying to make sense of the bright shape looming before him.
"Mad?" he slurred, his voice thick with alcohol and despair. "who are you?" He squinted, trying to focus on her face.
"You are not deaf.."
Minji retorted, her anger escalating. "You're stood in the middle of the road! If an accident happens, who's to blame? Do you want to die?"
"Have I gone mad?" Ryo repeated, the question laced with a chilling sincerity. The world seemed to tilt around him, the ground unsteady beneath his feet.
"Yes, maybe a little bit. But stood in the road isn't the answer, the world might not be great, but you need to move.
"I want to die," Ryo whispered, his voice devoid of emotion. "Let me rest in peace... It doesn't matter to you." He closed his eyes, swaying slightly.
Minji stared at him, her anger slowly replaced by a growing sense of unease. He was clearly drunk, but there was something else in his eyes, a deep well of pain and despair that sent a shiver down her spine.
"He's completely lost it," she muttered to herself. "And completely wasted."
Panic began to set in. She was alone on a relatively quiet street, and this man was clearly not in his right mind. "What am I supposed to do?" she thought. "If I call Mom, she'll flip out and ground me for life. I don't know anyone here... I should call the police."
She reached for her phone, fumbling with it in her shaky hands.
"Call 119," she whispered, reciting the emergency number.
She tapped the numbers on the screen and held the phone to her ear, her heart pounding in her chest.
"Police, hello?" a crisp voice answered.
"Sir, it's an emergency," Minji stammered. "Can you please come here?"
"Where are you?" the officer asked, his voice calm and professional.
Minji frantically looked around, trying to find a landmark. Her eyes landed on a signpost. "I'm on..." she paused, reading the sign. "...on Shibuya Crossing near the Hachiko statue."
"Okay, we'll send a patrol car right away. Stay where you are," the officer instructed.
"Okay," Minji replied, her voice trembling slightly.
She hung up the phone and took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure. She glanced at Ryo, who was still stood in the middle of the road, his head bowed.
A few minutes later, the flashing lights of a police car illuminated the street. Two officers emerged from the vehicle, their faces stern and authoritative.
"What happened? Did you call us?" one of the officers asked, approaching Minji.
"Yes, sir," she replied, relieved to see them. "This man was stood in the middle of the road. He started arguing with me, I was trying to help him..."
"Constable, take him into custody," the officer ordered, gesturing towards Ryo.
Ryo, startled by the sudden appearance of the police, instinctively resisted. "Leave my hand! Let me die... Let me rest in peace..."
"Whatever you want to say, mister, you can say it at the police station," the officer said firmly, his grip tightening on Ryo's arm.
"Hey, ma'am, you'll need to come with us to give a statement," the other officer said to Minji.
"Okay," she replied, her shoulders slumping with exhaustion.
She drove her car, following the police car to the nearby police station. Once inside, she was ushered into a small, sterile room.
"Do you know him?" the officer asked, his eyes scrutinizing her.
"I don't know him," Minji replied. "I'm seeing him for the first time. He was stood in the middle of the road, so I contact you, sir."
"Okay," the officer said, nodding.
"Constable, bring the alcohol tester," he instructed.
A constable returned with a device and approached Ryo. "Sir, please blow into this."
After a moment the constable said. "Sir his BAC is more than 0.3."
"Okay." the officer said and turned to Minji. "You may leave now. Thank you for your cooperation."
"Thank you, sir," Minji replied, feeling drained.
"If something happens again, don't hesitate to contact us," the officer said.
"Okay, sir," Minji said, gratefully.
She left the police station and walked towards her car, the events of the night replaying in her mind.
Inside the police station, the investigation continued.
"Constable, check his pockets for identification," the officer instructed.
The constable searched Ryo's pockets, finding a pack of cigarettes and a shattered smartphone.
"Sir, I found cigarettes and a broken phone," the constable reported.
"Try to switch it on and see if there are any contacts," the officer said.
"Okay, sir."
The constable tried to power on the phone, but the screen remained black. After a moment of fiddling, it flickered to life, revealing a cracked display and a single contact saved in the phonebook.
"Sir, there's only one contact saved, named 'Yoshi'," the constable said.
"Call him," the officer ordered.
The constable attempted to call the number, but a recorded message played, indicating insufficient balance.
"I think there's no balance," the constable said.
"Okay, dial the number using another phone and add the contact," the officer instructed.
"Okay, sir."
The constable used his own phone to dial the number saved as "Yoshi."
The phone rang, and after a few rings, a voice answered, "Hello?"
Yoshi,"who are u ?"
"Police," the officer said, identifying himself.
"Police?" Yoshi replied, his voice filled with confusion.
"Yes, sir. We have a guy here who was found stood in the middle of the road. Are you a relative or friend of his?"
Yoshi think "maybe he is talking about" Ryo
Suddenly Yoshi answered
"Yes Sir, I'm his friend," Yoshi replied, his voice tinged with concern.
"If you are his friend, please come to the police station," the officer said.
"Okay, sir, I'm coming right away," Yoshi replied.
He hung up the phone and quickly got ready to leave. His wife, startled by the sudden activity, asked, "Where are you going at this hour?"
"I have to go," Yoshi replied,
" Where ?" his wife asked, her brow furrowed with worry.
"I'll explain later," Yoshi said, rushing out the door.
He hailed a taxi and gave the driver the address of the police station.
When Yoshi arrived at the police station, he hurried inside.
"Sir, I'm Yoshi. I received a call about my friend," he said to the officer at the front desk.
"You are his friend? Constable, bring him in," the officer said.
The constable led Ryo into the waiting area. Ryo was still disoriented and exhausted, his head lolling to the side.
Yoshi rushed to his friend's side, his face etched with concern. "Ryo! What happened?"
The officer addressed Yoshi, "Take your friend home and make sure he doesn't drink again. If something like this happens again, the consequences will be severe. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir. It won't happen again. I promise," Yoshi replied, his voice filled with sincerity.
"You can go now," the officer said.
"Thank you, sir," Yoshi said gratefully.
After taking taxi finally reach at Ryo apartments:
He helped Ryo into a taxi. "Will you wait while I take my friend inside to his apartment? Then you can drop me off at my house," Yoshi asked the taxi driver.
"Okay," the taxi driver replied.
Yoshi supported Ryo as they walked to his small, sparsely furnished apartment. He carefully guided him to the bedroom and helped him onto the bed, covering him with a blanket.
"Goodnight, friend," Yoshi whispered, his heart aching for his friend's pain.
He left the apartment and returned to the taxi, giving the driver his home address.
When Yoshi arrived home, he found his wife asleep on the couch. He quietly turned on the TV, trying to unwind after the stressful night.
Meanwhile, Minji finally arrived home, feeling exhausted and shaken. She took a long shower, hoping to wash away the events of the evening. After changing into a comfortable top and shorts, she went downstairs to grab a late dinner. Opening the refrigerator, she took out a bottle of cold water.
The memory of the man's desperate plea, "I want to die," replayed in her mind.
What the hell was he thinking?
"psycho,"she muttered to herself, reaching for the fridge. She poured herself a glass of cold water, the icy liquid a welcome shock to her system.
She was startled by a voice behind her. "Hey, Minji!"
"Mom! You scared me," Minji exclaimed, her hand flying to her chest.
"What are you doing up so late?" her mother asked, her brow furrowed with concern.
"Nothing," Minji replied, trying to downplay the night's events.
"Did you eat dinner?" her mother asked.
"Yes, Mom," Minji replied.
"So, how was the shop? Did any customers visit today?"
"Lili said no one came," Minji replied, referring to the shop assistant.
"Okay," her mother said, sighing.
"I'm feeling sleepy. going to bed."
"Okay, Mom," Minji said.
She gave her mother a hug. "Goodnight, Mom."
"Goodnight, sweetheart," her mother replied, returning the hug.
Minji went back to her room and settled into bed, turning on her favorite drama.