A couple of the strangers came back in the room a while later looking as if they’d been crying. Of course it was the cute girl and the guy with the tiny eyes that were there. They had a strange air of authority about them that Woohyun didn’t understand considering how young they were.

            They looked pitiful. Woohyun didn’t like the sad expression on the cute girls face especially. Her face shouldn’t look like that. It doesn’t suit her. Something about it unsettled him.

            They waited without speaking for the doctor to come in the room. The cute girl looked like she wanted to say something to Woohyun a few times, but was at a loss. Woohyun would have said something himself like ‘who the hell are you people anyway?’, but his head ached. He just ignored them.

            “Doctor, I’m happy to see you,” he said with a smile as the doctor finally entered the room. “When can I see my girlfriend and go home?”

            “Soon Mr. Nam, but I need to explain a few things to you first.”

            The doctor explained to Woohyun that his head was damaged in the accident. He claimed that Woohyun had lost some of his memories and that others may be distorted.

            Woohyun just scoffed at the doctor.

            “Woohyun do you know where you live?”

            Woohyun spat out his address quickly; eager to prove this guy wrong. The doctor looked at his sheet and nodded.

            “Do you know who you live there with?”

            Woohyun was about to answer when he suddenly became confused. He pictured the apartment, but not any other people. He just saw Sunny’s cheerful face when he closed his eyes.

            “I think I live there with my girlfriend… or maybe alone… ” he trailed off. His brain was foggy and he didn’t like it.

            “Woohyun do you know what you do for a living?”

            “I… think I am a singer,” he said with an unsure nod. “I always wanted to sing.” Why is everything so fuzzy?

            “Do you sing alone?”                 

            “I don’t know… I don’t think so,” Woohyun said softly. Why is this so difficult to remember? He felt tears coming to his eyes and he closed them. He searched his brain, but his head hurt.

            “Do you remember any of your songs?”

            “I…” Woohyun put a hand to his head and grabbed his hair as he tried to remember. He closed his eyes and tried to hum a tune. He couldn’t come up with anything. He felt a tear slide down his cheek. “Where is Sunny? I want to see her,” he nearly pleaded.

            “Please Doctor stop asking him questions,” the pretty girl begged. She was crying as much as he was, as if she had receptors that specifically picked up his pain. “I’ll go get her Woohyun. Don’t worry.”

            She rubbed her eyes as she left. The guy with the tiny eyes seemed in pain too judging by his slumped shoulders. His hands were covering his face though so Woohyun couldn’t see him to know for sure. Woohyun may have been having a hard time remembering things, but he wasn’t stupid. These people, whoever they were, clearly cared about him.

            When the girl came back her eyes were wide.

            “Where did she go?” she asked the doctor quietly as if Woohyun couldn’t hear her in the silent room.

            “I asked them not to release her yet,” the doctor grumbled as he went to go find out what was happening.

            When he left Woohyun began to cry quietly again. “She left without me?”

            “Oh Woohyun,” the girl nearly whimpered as she approached the bed. “I’m sure she was scared by the whole situation and just wanted to go home.”

            “She’s my girlfriend. Why would she leave without me?” He knew he looked foolish crying like this, but he was confused on so many levels. He never felt more alone in his life.

            “Is it okay if I touch you,” the girl asked tremulously. He didn’t know her, but there was something about her that he liked. It could’ve had to do with how cute she was, but it was probably because she seemed just as sad as him. At least he wasn’t alone in that.  

            He heard Sunny’s voice in his head, your being sad just naturally made me sad. When you were especially happy it just made me happy too.

            She cares about me. Why would she leave?

            He could only nod to the girl in answer. He instantly felt that he made the right decision as the girl sat on the bed and hugged him. Hugging a stranger was a little weird, but she felt warm and caring. He was quickly comforted and started to breathe easier.

            The girl began his hair and talking into his ear. Her voice was comforting too. There was something musical about it that soothed his nerves.

            “Don’t worry Woohyun. We are going to figure this all out. We will find Sunny and everything will be better. Tomorrow you can come home with us and we will help you remember. You can trust us. You aren’t alone…”

            She continued to talk but he stopped hearing her words and just listened to the sound of her voice before drifting off into a restless sleep.

            As soon as he was asleep Julia eased his head down on the pillow. She pulled up his covers and tried to hold back a sob. He seemed so lost. When she watched him trying to answer the doctor’s questions she could feel his confusion. Why is this happening to him?

            She had to stop crying and be strong for Woohyun… and for Sunggyu.

            She looked to Sunggyu and saw he was just staring at his sleeping best friend sadly. Julia imagined Sunggyu was feeling twice her pain even if he was hiding it better. This was his best friend. They knew each other when they were trainees. Long before Julia knew any of them. She felt love for Woohyun as a friend, a band mate, and a younger brother. But Sunggyu felt all that and more.

            Julia went to Sunggyu and led him to the chair by Woohyun’s bed before easing him down into it gently. He let her lead him. She went to walk away, but he grabbed her hand. He looked into her eyes and didn’t need to say anything. She knew. He needed her. They both did.

            She squared her shoulders and dried her tears. She put her leader face on.

            “I’ll be back in a minute. I’m going to tell the others to go home. We will stay here tonight with him. No one will be alone,” she insisted. He nodded and let her go as he went back to staring at Woohyun while he slept fitfully.

            After telling the others to go home and get rest she went back in the room. Woohyun’s sleep was worse than before and he thrashed out. Sunggyu pulled his chair closer and grabbed his hand. Woohyun grasped it tightly in his sleep and seemed to calm down. Sunggyu was fighting back tears again as he held his best friend’s hand.

            Julia stood by his chair and he quickly used his other arm to pull her into his lap. She curled up into him and rested her face against his neck. She brought her hand into Sunggyu’s hair and ran her fingers through it rhythmically; slowly massaging his scalp. He rested his cheek on her head and relaxed like she knew he would.

            He soon fell asleep with one arm cradling Julia and his other hand holding Woohyun’s. Julia stayed awake for awhile in thought.

            At first she had no idea what to do. She had felt completely hopeless. But now she had a plan. She wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to do, but it was the only plan she could bare.

            She didn’t want to see Woohyun upset. She wanted more than anything for him to remember them so they could comfort him properly, but they were strangers and she couldn’t change that. Not yet.

            He was just going to have to fall in love with them again. I have to gain his trust. I have to earn his love back. Once he loves us again he will remember. I’m sure of it.

            And Julia had an idea of the first thing she had to do to earn his trust.

            She had to find Sunny.    

            Sunggyu woke up with Julia still in his arms. Daylight broke through the hospital room’s blinds and made her brown hair shine with hints of red. She was curled up in a ball against his chest and he couldn’t resist pulling her in closer. She grumbled something incoherent and grabbed at his shirt before falling back asleep. He smiled down at her and breathed a heavy sigh.

            He turned his head to check on Woohyun, but found him wide awake. Woohyun was sitting up in the bed and he watched them with a look of apprehension. Sunggyu didn’t have to ask his friend if he had remembered anything since last night. Sunggyu could see in his eyes that it wasn’t their Woohyun.

            “What’s her name? She told me yesterday, but I wasn’t listening,” Woohyun whispered. His eyes lost a little bit of their hardness when he looked at her sleeping in his arms. He still likes Julia even though he doesn’t remember her. Sunggyu took it as a good sign that as different as he seemed at least their Woohyun was still in there somewhere.

            “Her name’s Julia, but you usually call her noona,” Sunggyu said softly. “I think it would make her really happy if you continued to call her noona.”

            Woohyun’s face turned apprehensive again and he folded his arms over his chest. He seemed lost in his own confusing thoughts for a moment.

            “And who are you?”

            “My name is Sunggyu. I’m your best friend.” His words were strained as he had to try to stop tears from forming again.

            Woohyun seemed surprised that they were best friends and once again he seemed a little disbelieving. He shook his head with a scoff. 

            Sunggyu took his phone out of his pocket carefully without jostling Julia too much. He threw the phone to Woohyun on the bed. He caught it with a surprised look.

            “Look at the picture,” Sunggyu insisted quietly.

            Woohyun gave him another doubtful look before turning the phone on. His eyes widened slightly when he saw the picture set as his wallpaper. It was a shot Sungjong had taken for him. It was from the beginning of the wedding reception. Sunggyu didn’t need to see it, he knew the photograph well.

            He was looking at a picture of Sunggyu and Woohyun standing arm and arm with Julia between them in her wedding dress. Sunggyu and Woohyun were making one connected giant silly heart above their heads out of their arms and Julia was sporting a cute aegyo pose with puffed out cheeks. It was Sunggyu’s favorite photo of the three of them. He often lit his phone up just to stare at it.

            Woohyun looked at it quietly for awhile and rubbed his thumb over the screen. He was lost in his own thoughts until he suddenly seemed angry. He put the phone down on the table by his bed and pushed it towards Sunggyu. He tried to catch it before it slid off the edge but it landed on the cold hospital floor with a crash. Woohyun didn’t seem to care.

            The sound caused Julia to wake with a start. She popped up in his arms like a frightened animal.

            “Woohyun are you okay?” She asked quickly. She turned to Sunggyu and naturally rested her hand on his cheek as if assuring herself he was still there and was fine. She looked back at Woohyun to see him staring at her glumly.

            “Yeah woman, I’m fine,” he mumbled like a sour child.

            “Oh that’s good,” she sighed as she stood up and approached the bed. Sunggyu grabbed the phone off the floor and looked at the picture sadly before stashing it in his pocket.

            Sunggyu watched as she went to touch Woohyun’s hair but he backed away. She frowned in response, but she didn’t look surprised.

            “I think the doctor might let us take you home today,” she said brightly. “Don’t you want to come home?”

            “Living with a bunch of strangers doesn’t sound that appealing so no,” he grumbled quietly as he tried to avoid her sad eyes.

            Sunggyu couldn’t help but smile a little. He was having a hard time being cold towards Julia already. This wasn’t even her trying yet. This was just her.

            “Well we were all strangers once upon a time. When I joined the band I didn’t know any of you. It was hard at first, but I fell in love with you all almost immediately. You’ll love us again. I promise.”

            It was wishful thinking, but when Julia said it in her bright singsongy voice even he wanted to believe that everything would be okay.

            “Is she always this… delusional,” Woohyun asked Sunggyu as if she wasn’t there anymore.

            “Yes,” Sunggyu answered and Julia turned to hit him with a shout. Sunggyu caught Woohyun smirking a little from the corner of his eye, but he quickly hid his amusement. At least he hasn’t lost his sense of humor.

            “I appreciate you guys staying here and trying to help, but I’m going to find my girlfriend as soon as I’m released. I’ll stay with her,” he said not meeting Julia’s eyes again. If he had he would’ve seen how her expression fell.

            “No Woohyun you have to come back home. We are a band. And most importantly we are a family. We will help you remember and then everything will be back to normal,” she said with cheer.

            “Delusional,” he said with a roll of his eyes. “And people are treating me like I’m crazy. I’m not going to live with a bunch of strangers.”

            “What if I find Sunny and get her to stay with us,” Julia asked brightly.

            Sunggyu tried not to show his frustration. He wanted to just take Woohyun home whether he liked it or not. He didn’t want this Sunny girl around. She was the only stranger here. But he wasn’t going to argue with Julia. Not now in front of Woohyun. Especially when he looked at her like that. He gave Julia a surprised and slightly appreciative look.

            “You’ll find her for me?”

            “Only if you promise to live with us,” she said carefully.

            Sunggyu watched as Woohyun mulled over her proposal. He must not have known where she lived otherwise he would probably seek her out himself. He was crazy enough.

            “Okay. I’ll live with you.”

            Julia let out a gleeful sound and didn’t hesitate to wrap Woohyun up in a hug. Sunggyu watched as his eyes widened with alarm before softening while she continued to squeeze him.

            “Thank you for trusting me Woohyun,” she said brightly as she got up and found her shoes.

            “Where are you going?” Sunggyu asked as he too went to get ready as if to follow her.

            “No you stay with Woohyun so he isn’t alone. I’m going to go find Sunny. Woohyun you don’t have any idea where she lives?”

            They looked to Woohyun and he got that sad confused look on his face again. He pinched the bridge of his nose as he thought.

            “It must be because of the accident that I don’t remember,” he said quietly to himself. “I can’t picture her street. She is a college student but she doesn’t live in dorms. She lives in a house and… she lives near a karaoke bar that just opened up. I can’t actually picture it though.”

            Sunggyu wanted to yell at him so bad. You can’t picture it because you have never been there you moron. Wake up! You don’t know this person! Sunggyu balled his fists by his sides as he tried to control himself.

            Sunggyu was wondering if they could even trust anything he was saying. How long did he talk to this girl for?

            “Its okay Woohyun don’t strain yourself. You’ll remember eventually. Give yourself time. I’ll try my best to find her,” she said brightly.

            But he never will remember where she lives because he doesn’t know her, Sunggyu thought to himself with a sigh. He saw what Julia was doing now. She wanted him to trust them. She didn’t want him to think that they thought he was crazy.

            “Julia can I talk to you before you leave,” he said quietly as he ushered her out of the room and into the hospital hallway. “What are you planning?”

            “I’m going to find Sunny and ask her to live with us,” she said simply.

            “Sweetheart, that is insane. We don’t know this girl. Woohyun doesn’t even know this girl,” he insisted.

            “I’ve thought about this Sunggyu. Just listen to me. Woohyun doesn’t know us and the only person he does know is this girl. If he likes her than I believe she will be a good person. Woohyun is a good judge of character and so am I. I will make sure she is the kind of person he thinks she is before I invite her home with us.”

            She had been so strong all morning, but she suddenly looked a little sad and anxious again.

            “It is insane, but I can’t just watch him be sad and lonely and confused all the time. He needs comfort and we just can’t give that to him in the way he needs anymore. This girl will make him happy and then he will come back around. This will work. It has to work,” she insisted with a stern nod of her head. Her eyes were wet now and he watched sadly as she struggled to hold herself together. She may have been slightly delusional, but her words did manage to give him hope.

            “Okay, go find her. Just please be careful and call me often… every thirty minutes I want you to call and check in,” he said with more firmness. She smiled up at him like he was a cute puppy before kissing him on his left cheek.

            “And check on everyone at home first.” Her wet eyes were gleaming now with amusement as she leaned up and kissed him noisily on his right cheek.

            She was about to turn away when he stopped her by grabbing her hand. “And take one of the guys with you while you search, just in case. And I said one of the guys. That means no taking Shelly. I don’t care if she knows karate.”

            She chuckled at him before pulling his head down and kissing him quickly on the lips and then on the tip of his nose. He watched her walk away before going back into Woohyun’s hospital room. He was flipping through the channels on the television with an uncharacteristic scowl on his handsome face.

            Now it was Sunggyu that felt lonely.