The first weeks Hwamin was in denial. Every day she would look for Kyungsoo and still talk as if he was there with her. Sometimes she would close her eyes and pretend he was singing to her, but when she opened her eyes he was never there. Because of the evidence her mother at least made arrangements to have Hwamin sent back to her old school. No one there said she was friends with an evil ghost. Her friends acted like nothing had happened at all. Somehow that was worse.

After her weeks of denial ended, Hwamin stopped eating. Suyeons friends told her that the girl would eventually eat something or that she was snacking in secret, but they didn’t see the weight drop off the little girl. When asked why she wasn’t eating Hwamin just replied she wasn’t hungry. After a little more than a week she was transferred to a hospital when she collapsed in class.

“I don’t know how this could happen.” Suyeon whispered as she sat by her daughter’s side in the hospital. Her husband had taken off a few days from work and tried to comfort her.  The medical staff had induced a coma in order to be able to tubefeed Hwamin.

“It’s not your fault honey.” He repeated as he hugged her and her hair, “no one could have seen any of this coming. She’ll get better and I’ll be around more for the both of you. I promise.” Suyeon wasn’t sure of that. Silently she prayed that her daughter would wake up from her coma and be the way she used to be. Miraculously that was what happened.

When Hwamin woke up she didn’t remember a thing after transferring schools for the first time. As far as she was concerned she’d never been away. Suyeon didn’t think it was necessary to tell her the truth, it would only hurt her to remember. The only thing that confused Hwamin was that she was suddenly good at calculations, and that there was a strange void in her life. Although it seemed close enough to remember sometimes, she could never put her finger on it.

As she grew up the hole mostly filled. If she didn’t remember it, there must not be anything worth remembering, she repeated to herself when she did feel herself trying to puzzle together what was missing. Besides there was plenty else to fill her time with. High school seemed to fly by for her, as time tends to do when you’re having fun. Before she even realized it she was eighteen and applying for college.

“Hwamin, let’s drink some tea together!” A friend of hers waved at her happily as they parted after one of the last days of school. Hwamin turned to her friend and nodded.

“Please come by my apartment someday.” She smiled and bowed at her friends. Getting a place of her own was something Hwamin was very proud of. It was a rental place and it was very small but she felt accomplished when she walked inside. She didn’t need a lot of space since she was a student. It was only the place where she slept, she mused, and where she kept her belongings.

After saying goodbye to her friend Hwamin headed to her new home. She felt oddly excited about going there for the first time. Tonight was the first time she would be sleeping there. As she got closer she started walking faster, almost skipping when she was cutting the last corner. Home, she smiled as she looked up at the building. Her apartment was on the fifth floor of a building that didn’t have an elevator, but she didn’t feel like that would be a problem. In fact it might actually be good because it would keep her active even when she started studying.

“Mom, I’m arriving home right now!” Hwamin almost squealed when she picked up her phone. Suyeon laughed on the other side of the line.

“You really can’t wait huh? Well I have to say, I’m proud of you. Just promise me you’ll keep it clean.” Hwamin rolled her eyes. Moms would be moms.

“It’s clean, mom. I promise. You can come by tomorrow if you want? I want to show you this really cute teapot that Jayoung gave me! You’d love it, it’s not too big and it has the cutest little owl on it!” Hwamin chirped as she looked around her small apartment. The living room served as a bedroom as well. Her bed stood in the corner, beside her desk. Against the wall were a closet, a book case and a washing machine. Other than that she had a low table surrounded by pillows.

“I’m sorry sweetie, I just don’t have time tomorrow. Your dad wants me to come to a dinner party with him. But I could come by this weekend!”

“Great! Then I’ll see you Saturday!” Hwamin smiled as she walked into the kitchen and her water cooker. The kitchen was a rather small room but it was perfectly okay for one person to live and cook in. It had all the necessary equipment. For now Hwamin only had the basic pans and a rice cooker but she still had a summer to collect all the other things she’d need.

“I’ll see you then darling. Sweet dreams okay?” Hwamin nodded, forgetting for a moment her mother couldn’t see her. She thanked her mother and hung up, looking for the apron she’d bought. Time to cook dinner. Hwamin was neither a good nor a bad chef. The food she made was good but the dishes were usually quite simple. Hwamin didn’t think of it as very important. She’d learn more about cooking this summer, too.

After a simple meal of eggs, rice and tea, Hwamin lied down on her bed and stared at the ceiling. She’d have to do something about the cobwebs before the weekend. Her mother would go crazy if she sad any sign of spiders. Now that it was quiet around her, that eerie feeling she’d had before had somehow creeped up on her. Something was missing, but what was it?

Frustrated she sat up and moved out of bed, walking off to do the dishes. There was something that was missing in her life and the emptiness was pulling on her heartstrings. She placed the dirty dishes in her sink and the water. It was then that she realized she didn’t have soap of any kind. With a sigh she dried her hands and grabbed her bag to head out. This was something she desperately needed in her household, no matter what time it was. And why not shop for proper food while she was at it?

The weather took a turn for the worse while Hwamin was at the convenience store. By the time she was ready to leave the rain was falling down like a flood from the sky. She sighed and leaned against the door, hoping that the weather would clear. As she waited she tried again to remember what it was. It was a bit childish but since no one was watching her Hwamin laced her fingers together and held them under her chin.

I wish, she started in silence, I wish to find what I lost. I wish for the emptiness to be filled and to feel happy again. When she lowered her hands nothing had changed. Since the rain wasn’t going to stop she picked up her groceries and headed outside. The rain hit on her shoulders like hail as she walked. She was almost home when she heard a loud snap. When she looked up it was just in time to see a young man falling from a tree. With a loud thud he landed not too far from her.

As he lied there, gasping, Hwamin hurried over to his side. He looked as if he’d landed painfully. Worried she knelt down beside him and looked over him, reaching out and touching his shoulder. The figure twitched and moved, looking up at her with widened eyes. Somewhere she’d seen those eyes before. His hand grabbed hers and squeezed as his chest heaved. His breathing became more rapid and his head dropped to the side. He’d fainted. In a panic Hwamin picked up her phone and dialed for an ambulance.