“I always needed time on my own.
I never thought I'd need you there when I cried.
And the days feel like year when I'm alone,
And the bed where you lied, is made up on your side”

“Good morning…” – She told herself. Her eyes still closed.

She knew her morning would not be good. It had not been even close to good ever since he left.

Opening her eyes, Park Hyomin looked at the empty space next to her. There was a sad light on her eyes… a feeling that cannot be translated into English… the feeling of missing someone you no longer have.

Flashback on

“Honey, wake up…” – he shook her shoulder lightly. – “We’ll be late…”

“Do you really have to go?” – she replied. Her eyes still closed.

“I do, and we had talked about it already.” – He answered, kissing her bare shoulder – “Now, please, let’s go…”

She got up unwillingly, just to step on a bunch of puzzle pieces, close to her slippers.

“Joon, not again!” – she said, crossing her arms – “You forgot your toys on the floor!”

“These are not toys, Hyomin!” – he defended, kicking the small puzzle pieces close to the wall – “These are mental improvement instruments.”- he completed.

They laught together.

Flashback off

Puzzles, memory games, scrabbles…
He had always liked this kind of childish games.

His unfinished puzzles were still unfinished, and they would perhaps remain this way forever.

“When you walk away, I count the steps that you take.
Can you see how much I need you right now?”

She got up and cleaned everything.
She mopped the whole house and took the dirty out of every single thing. Being busy gave her something to think about.
Last thing was the desk close to her bed.

And there it was…that sad light, that sad feeling on her eyes.
She looked at the portrait on the small desk and touched it dreamingly.
A sad smile on her lips.

Flashback on

“Do you really have to go?” – she asked, hugging him.

“Yeah…” – he answered, hugging back. – “But I’ll be back before you can spell your name backwards” – he completed laughing.

People all around, at the airport.

“I… had a bad dream last night.” – She said, tightening the hug, not facing him – “You were walking away… and when I called out for you, you looked at me and smiled…” – her voice broke – “…and you disappeared…”

“It was just a bad dream…” – he spoke, comforting her – “I’ll be back by Tuesday, you’ll see. Then we can finish that puzzle you bought me.” – he completed, placing a tender kiss on her forehead.

Flashback off

He took the airplane, as planned, but he did not return on Tuesday, like he had promised.
He didn’t return on Tuesday, nor Wednesday… nor never.

Flashback on

“Flight South Korea - Brazil went through technical problems and eventually... it fell, while flying over South America. There were no survivors.” – it had been said, during the urgent break news caption.

It was his flight.

She fainted upon seeing his name on the victims list.

Flashback off

When someone special is gone, one always ends up wishing to still have that person. We talk to pictures, we send them messages through prayers, we visit them…

Hyomin walked slowly, rubbing her fingertips on the graves as if greeting good morning.
The little package on her arms going up and down, sleeping sound.

When she arrived to the one grave she had been there to visit, she felt her heart breaking.

“Hi…” – she spoke, holding her tears. It was the first time she had been there – “…er…this is…” – she could barely formulate words now – “…this is our baby.” – She smiled, while her tears fell.

“When you're gone, the pieces of my heart are missing you.
When you're gone, the face I came to know is missing too.
When you're gone, the words I need to hear to always get me through the day,
And make it okay...”

“i miss you” – she whispered, allowing her tears to fall freely.