Donghae

   I leaned against a carment pillar in the Atlantic Avenue subway station, watching Wooyoung dribble a basketball close to the edge of the train tracks. He was heading uptown to play pickup ball, and I wanted to start looking early. A consumer's guide was tucked in the back pocket of my Levi's.

    The loud smack of the ball reverbrated off the underground walls, and a woman with sleeping baby shot an irritated glance at Wooyoung.

" Do you mind?" She asked, nodding toward the infant.

   Wooyoung caught the ball mid-dribble. " Sorry " He walked toward me and threw the ball at my chest.

" Think fast "

    I caught the ball easily and held it under my arm.

" You're not getting this back until I get off the train " I said.

    He shrugged, then bent down to stretch out before his game.

" So are you up for going to Dara's party tonight?" He asked when he stood back up.

    I twirled the basketball between my index fingers.

" Maybe. But it'll probably be pretty lame"

    Wooyoung shook his head with disbelief.

" Man, it's going to be great. Dara told me her mom's going to barbecue, and there should be a lots of cute girls"

"so what? I've got more important things to worry about than girls"

" yeah? like what?" He leapt toward me and grabbed the ball. I let him take it, suddenly too listless to worry about whether or not Wooyoung would drive everyone on the subway crazy with his dribbling.

   " My job at Mr. Park's. The fourth of July picnic for the orphans at St. Ann's Taking pictures......"

    I was genuinely excited about my summer plans. My job working at Mr.Park's photo shop would be a great learning experience---not to mention a decent way to make some cash. And since I'd lost both my parents, I'd made it business to get involved with charity events, like the picnic, that benifited the orphans who hadnt been as lucky as I'd been.

" Geez, Fishy, what are you, twenty-three going on seventy? You need a beautiful girl to remind you what life is all about."

" A girl.... is the last thing I need" I said bitterly.

     Eversince the party I'd been steering clear of the female population. Dating was too much trouble--- I was better off focusing on the aspects of life that didnt cause fear,pain, or humiliation.

" I thought it was the first" Wooyoung retorded, banging the ball against a cement pillar one last time as the number two train screeched into the station.

" remember last summer, last fall,last winter? You must've had five different girlfriends"

    I was silent as we waited for the doors of the subway train to open. A couple of priests stepped in and took the seats they'd vacated.

" So I've matured " I said finally. The train lurched forward and moved out of the station.

" I dont need to be making a fool of myself over some woman just to feel like a man."

     Wooyoung laughed.

" You've been breathing in too many film-developing chemical, Lee. Your brain's turned to rot"

    I tilted my head against the cool glass of the train's window.

" Torture me as much you want, Woo. Im still going to make my summer vacation a vacation from women."

     Wooyoung palmed the basketball and stared at it reflectively for a moment.

" hey, man, your loss is my gain. More girls for me to choose from at Dara's."

     I closed my eyes, grateful that the conversation seemed to be over. Wooyoung was my bestfriend, but he could be major pain in the .

    I pretended to doze as the subway carried us from Brooklyn to Manhattan. But by the time the train paused at tweny-eighth street, I was feeling better. The soothing motion of the subway always calmed me, and that dat was no exception. When we roared into Penn Station, I stood and positioned myself next to the door.

" I'll call you later" Wooyoung said. " maybe you'll change your mind about Dara's.

" Stranger things happened" I called as the doors banged opened. I stepped onto the crowded platform, feeling the familiar warm gust of air as the train behind me left the station and charged toward Times Square.

   I hated Penn Station on saturdays. The place was always a dump, and now that it was packed with people, it was also hot and smelly. I headed toward one of the big red Exit sign, then turned and retraced a few of my steps. If I was going to combat the crowds and traffic on thirty-fourth, I needed to fortify myself with an overpriced can of cherry Coke.

     I held the aluminum to my forehead as I left one of the dozen enclosed newsstand in Penn Station. Making my way past a knot of people, I thought about how good the soda would taste when I took my first sip.

     About 50 feet from the nearest exit there a circle of people murmiring excitedly. An invisible magnet pulled me in their direction. Was someone getting busted? Was there a celebrity? Had someone been stabbed? As morbidly curious as most New Yorkers, I couldnt let a possible spectacle pass me by?

     When I got to the outsidw of the circle, mouth dropped open. Lying on the dirty floor of of Penn station, her eyes closed and face slack, was Kwon Yuri. I glanced around quickly, trying to spot Tiffany or the princess's lurking boyfriend. But no one in th crowd had stepped out to help. They were just staring, wondering aloud whether or not the girl was dead.

   Without thinking, I bolted through the human ring and knelt at Yuri's side. Without her nose stuck in the air or her eyes shooting darts at me, she looked like amost a young child. My heart squeezed painfully as I picked up her hand and whispered her name.

" Yuri, can you hear me? Yuri?"

    I could see that she was breathing, but she didnt respond to my voice. A harried-looking woman with a little red- haired girl took a step forward.

    " She fell down the stairs just a few seconds ago" the woman explained. " She must have hit her head"

    I nodded, placing my can of cherry coke against Yuri's cheek.

" Wake up, Yuri" I urged.

 " Do you know her?" The woman asked me, her voice filled with concern.

" yeah.... sort of " I answered.

     The little girl began to cry, hiding her face in her mother's skirt.

" Hyuna and I saw her just before she fell" The woman continued.

" She seemed awfully distressed..... she'd left her PINK stuff toy in the ladies room "

    For the first time I noticed the furry PINK stuff toy that lay near Yuri's side. A leather bag was at her feet, its content spilled on the floor.

" Did she say what she was doing? Was there anyone with her?" I asked.

    Even though the Ice Queen looked vulnerable now, I wasnt thrilled with the idea of playing her protector. I could just imagine the thanks I'd get when she woke up and saw enemy number one looming overhead.

   The wonan shooked her head.

" No, she was alone. She said something, but I could barely understand her. Something about a boyfriend....... and camp. And she seemed desperate to get the stuff toy.

     I picked up the stufg toy and tucked it into Yuri's arms.  Had she been about to board a train? Was she going to summer camp? I realized that I wasnt going to get any answers until she regained consciousness. And in the meantime I decided to have someone call an ambulance.

" You better call 911" I told the woman. " We should get her to a hospital"

    The woman nodded and took off for a payphone, her daughter in tow. At that moment Kwon Yuri's eyes popped open.

" Who's going to the hospital?" She shoutef suddenly.

   I looked at her, surprised.

" You are" I said gently.

" You fell and got knocked unconciou----"

" Who are you?" She demanded, cutting me off.

       Typical, I thought. The girl is so high on herself that she doesnt even remember a guy who she dumped a glass of margarita on. There were probably so many, she couldnt keep track.

" Lee Donghae " I said, keeping the caustic tone out of my voice. She was lying on the floor of Penn Station after all. I had sone sympathy.

" Oh.." Her face was expresionless.

" Who am I? " She added.

" What?!" I asked totally shocked.

     She sat up and pushed the hair out of her face.

" Who am I?" She repeated.

     I gulped. Exactly how hard had she hit her head?

" You're Kwon Yuri "

"Oh" She said again.

     People around us started to drift away, seeming almost disappointed that Yuri hadnt provided them with a real live corpse. She started to stand up, and I reached out and put a restraining hand on her arm. Damn, how can this girl be so tall?

 " Just sit tight and wait for the paramedics"

    She glared at me--- the first real sign of the girl I'd met at the prom.

" Im not going to the hospital" She said, hugging the stuff toy. She looked scared.

" You have to" I said, trying to sound calm and reassuring.

" No way. I hate hospitals. Take me home." She scooped the  scattered items from her purseand and hastily replaced them.

    I bit my lip unsure of what I should do.

" Yuri. Be reasonable."

    Tears slid down her cheeks and she suddenly threw her herself into my arms.

" Please dont make me go to the hospital. I cant go. I cant."

     The quick pressure of her body was unexpected that I almost lost my balance. When I regain my senses enough to realize that I wwas actually holding the princess-holding her close- my heart began to race. When I'd put my arms around her to dance at the party, Yuri had been cold and rigid. Now she felt soft and vulnerable. And there were something else in her embrace. Trust.

" Why cant you go?"

     She frowned. " I dont know" Her voice was so quiet, I could barely hear her words.

        For an instant I allowed myself to rub my cheek against her silky brunette hair. Her face was so close that I could smell the lavender of her soap. I gently smoothed her hair, trying to mentally convey the message that I wouldnt let anything bad happen- not because she was Yuri, I told myself, but becuase she was a felliw human being in trouble. When my hand touched the back of her scalp, I felt a huge knot forming where her head had obviously banged against the hard floor of Penn station.

      " Gee, you've got a golf ball growing back here" I muttered, pulling away so that I could look into her eyes.

    She grimaced.

" No kidding. My head feels like an entire construction crew from the West Side Highwaya are running their jackhammers in it" Then she managed to smile. " But Im fine,really"

    I laughed- at least she remembered New York.

" Except for the fact that you have no idea who you are, who I am, .or what just happened."

    She stood up, pulling me with her. She glanced around the train station as if seeing it for the first time, wrinkling her nose eith distaste.

" Donghae, if we mean anything to each other, you'll get me out of this hellhole immediately"

    When I started to protest, she put one hand over my mouth to kerp me from speaking.

" And if you say no..I'll run into the streets all by myself. Im sure my parents, whoever they are, wouldnt appreciate you losing me"

    I sighed, feeling defeated. With or without her memory, Kwon Yuri was a girl who was used to getting what she wanted. I had no choice but to forget camera shopping and take her home to Aunt Hyori.

" Okay, let's go. We'll go to my house and have my aunt take a look at you-- She's a nurse"

    She shrugged.

" I dont care where we go as long as its not a hospital" She started to grin at me, then winced with pain.

" Smiling hurts" She confided, taking my hand.

    I laced my fingerd through hers and headed back in the direction of the subway. When I handed her a subway token from my pocket, she slowed.

    " Were taking the subway?" She didnt looked thrilled at the prospect.

I ignored the trace of snobbery in her voice.

" So, you remember the New York City transit system huh?"

" Yeah.. sort of.. not too much"

   I couldnt help rolling my eyes. Yuri probably hadnt taken the subway enough times to have a vived image of what it was like- but I was sure that if I took her to the street, it would take her less than five seconds to hail a cab. Still, she startef walking again, apparently assuming that descending into the depths of New York's underground was part of her daily activity.

    Yuri looked nervous when we stepped into the train, and I led her to a row of empty black plastic seats at the rear of the car. Niw she clutched my hand, staring at the graffiti-covered advertisements opposite us as well as the diverse assortment of passengers.

    When she turned to me, her expression was serious.

" Thank goodness you were with me, Donghae. Im so lucky to have you" She gave my hand a squeeze and leaned her head against my shoulder.

" I jus wish I could remember anything before today"

    I realized with a startling jolt of satisfaction that she's assume that I was her boyfriend. I didnt know why the thought hadnt occured to me before. I'd been at her side when she woke up,held her hands,taken control. All the things a boyfriend would have done. And yet I was still the guy she'd publicly humiliated at the party. Ths whole idea of her misconception was tantalizing. Right now, for all intents and purposes, I was Kwon Yuri's boyfriend. The guy she was inlove with... probably the guy who gave her the very stuff toy that was in her lap.

      Revenge. The world rolled around in my mind even as I run my thumb across the soft skin of her palm. I could get the Ice queen back for the way she'd treated me. I had no doubt that she would eventually remember who she was, along with her entire past. And when she did, the look on her face would make for an award-winning photograph. I grinned to myself.

    Kwon Yuri might have lost her memory but I was about to give her an experience she'd never forget.

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What a long update..

anyways, there are some things that I just made up.. Im sorry, I hadnt been in New York so if any of the places I'd mentioned doesnt ring a bell, please forgive me.. But I think there's really a Penn station. I have read a book that has also mentioned Penn station.

^_^