Story By LeeHwaYoung

I stared at the blackness in front of me, gritting my teeth. What had I done that was so terrible? Would Donghae never let go of whatever it was that made him dislike me? I balled my hands into fists as I turned back to the classroom I had just left. The professor, as well as the entire class, stared at me...their eyes showed the questions that I still needed an answer to.

What was Donghae doing here anyway? Why did we always seem to run into each other? I walked slowly back into the classroom, asking myself the same questions continuously...questions that seemed I would never get the answer to. I turned my attention to the class, looking forward to clear my mind, gain ideas. Anything other than think about the event that just happened.

The class lasted a little over half an hour. I could tell that the professor was greatly amused and proud of his new students. I thought back to the time when I was one of his students. One of his best. It brought back happy memories. A time where I focused my entire being on creating moving novels. That is what I had lived for back then, before meeting Young-Yi. Young-Yi...had told me once the reason he fell in love with me. It was my passion for reading and writing greatness.

I stood after the other students left, all leaving in the direction of the blackness that Donghae had disappeared into first. I pushed a smile onto my features, holding out a hand to the professor.

"Hyuk Jae," The professor smiled, his lips cracked from years of use. He took my hand, shaking it forcefully, almost methodically. "I'm glad you came. I have something for you," He said as he drifted away, returning with a large brown package in his hands. "I want you to have this," He said softly, his eyes downward, looking at the package in his hands. "I have watched over you since he died. You haven't been happy," He pushed the package into my hands before resting a hand on my chest, just above my beating heart. "I want to see you happy again. Regain the passion you once had. I think this will help," He once again looked down at the package, a sense of longing passed through his eyes before he turned again.

"You should go now. It's about to rain," The professor announced. He was always right about those things, like a mystical being who could tell when something ominous was about to come. I whispered a thanks before disappearing into the dark night just as all the others had. One day I would be joined with Young-Yi in this darkness. Madness. I would once again feel blessed when that day came. My heart would be at peace.

I walked down the side of the road, the lights of small markets guiding my way back towards the apartment I had just gained and almost lost. My shoes clicked on the heavy sidewalk, making a melodious sound, drowning out everything else. My eyes trailed from the brown package, to the markets, to the sidewalk. Then, as forewarned, it began raining. A small pitter-patter of raindrops hitting the sidewalk, then the roar of thunder and the downpour of larger raindrops, smacking my face before trailing down, making its way to the cement sidewalk.

I stuffed the brown package into my jacket, holding it closely against my chest so it wouldn't get wet. I continued to walk, my hair now sagging down over my eyes. The darkness was continuously setting in. Making the walk back seem longer than it was. Until the real darkness settled in.

I was pushed back, falling back onto the rough concrete that had once distracted my thoughts. My hands burned as I stopped myself from being extremely hurt. I should have just let myself go. Ther