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Username:  HyeSuh

Username Link: http://www.asianfanfics.com/profile/view/37588

Topic: The Empty Passenger Seat

Characters:  Kim Jae Joong

                    Shim Hye Min (OC)

                    Jung Yun Ho

                    Park Yoo Chun

                    Kim Jun Su

                    Shim Chang Min

Jae Joong got into the car hesitantly.  His hand trembles in fear while his face turned pale.  In his eyes, many indescribable emotions are being transmitted.  Getting into the car alone took his whole strength.  He sat in the driver’s seat as he glanced at the empty passenger seat.  Somehow, he expected her in that car, seating in that empty passenger seat while smiling at him sweetly.  And he, he will take out his hand and ruffled her hair softly, wanting to show her how much he treasured her.    

“It’s okay, Jae Joong.  You can do it!” said a sudden voice.  It’s Dr. Shim Chang Min, his therapist.  Upon hearing his voice, Jae Joong tightened his grip on the steering wheel while convincing himself that he indeed can do it! 

“Yes!  Continue what you’re doing!  You have to trust yourself the way I trusted you right now!” said Chang Min through the opened window. 

“Jae~, be a little confident!  You know I trust you, right?” A sudden flashback rushed through his memory as he whimpers in pain. 

*****

 “ No I can’t stop!  5 of my patient died this week alone!  You don’t know how I feel right now.  I feel so useless!  Sometimes, it comes to the point where I actually think that I have the ‘touch of death’.  Did you even see the look on his mother’s eyes?” said him while gulping another shot of liquor.  She took the glass away from his lips and said, “Jae, be a little confident!  You know I trust you, right?” 

He gave up the glass and looked at her deeply. He’s glad that she’s the one who chased after him that night, she sure know how to make him feel better.  Sure, his best bud, Yun Ho understand him a lot, but in vulnerable times like this, he needed a woman’s meddle.

That was when his latest patient died and she goes to him to stop him from drinking.

*******

“Jae Joong, are you okay?” the sound of Chang Min speaking ended his flashback.  He snapped back and looked at Chang Min in fear.  His body continues to tremble and his eyes are starting to get wet again.  Chang Min being a professional psychologist as he is, tried to calm him down.  “Jae Joong, I need you to breathe deeply in and out and tried to think of the happiest moment in your life,” urged the young therapist softly.

Jae Joong follows his instruction.  He relaxed his body as he let go of the steering wheel and laid himself in his seat.  He tried to breathe in and out just as he was instructed.  “Okay, good job!  Now close your eyes and try to think of things that will make you happy” repeat the mental doctor.

He closed his eyes.

********

“Close your eyes! I have a surprise for you!” urged her.  She was wearing her best dress and she astonishingly put on a light make up on her face.  “What?  NO WAY!  What is it?” declined Jae Joong in excitement.  She hit his arm softly.  “Idiot, just close your eyes first!” instructed her again.  “I don’t want to!  This ought to be good!  Look at your clothes today!  What is it?  Tell me~!” whine Jae Joong stubbornly.   “Darn I should’ve bought that blindfold!” mutter her under her breath.   

She closed Jae Joong’s eyes using her bare hand, much to his excitement.  She guided him to the dining table and take away her hand as soon as they reached there.  Jae Joong looked around the place as his face flushed in happiness.  She prepared a candle-light dinner for him. 

He looked at her in affection.  She doesn’t even know how to cook.  That was three months after they started dating.

**********

“Jae Joong, how are you feeling right now? Any better?” asked Chang Min caringly.  It’s been a while since his client closed his eyes after his sudden break down, and now he started to regret his decision.  “Jae Joong” said him, this time he shook his client’s frozen body. 

Jae Joong slowly opened his eyes and looked straight at the passenger seat once again.  “You know, maybe we should continue this later on.  I think this is too much for you.  Let’s just continue with our talking session for now” suggest Chang Min.  Jae Joong nodded and came out of the dreadful car.

~~~~~

“Dr. Shim, how is he?” asked Yun Ho to the doctor.  He just finished his night shift in the hospital and he went straight to Chang Min’s office to get a clue on the progress of his best friend.  “I heard you asked him to drive a car today.  How did it go?  Did he do it?” asked Yun Ho again when the doctor didn’t answer his first question. 

“Let me be honest here.  I think the possibility of him driving a car on his own is almost impossible right now.  He looked so disturbed and so…occupied when he sat on the driver’s seat,” explained Chang Min while trying to find the best possible word to describe his patient without offending the person in front of him. 

“So?  What now?” asked Yun Ho.  Hints of disappointment are clear in his voice.  “I guess I’ll just continue with our normal session tomorrow.  This is the best for him.  I don’t want any nervous breakdown from him again.  I can’t forget the way he is when I saw him for the first time,” answered Chang Min flatly.  “Okay then, at what time will you start tomorrow?” asked Yun Ho again.  “Like the usual, start at 3, ends at 5” answered Chang Min.

“I got it. Thank you so much doctor!” said Yun Ho and leave the office after shaking the doctor’s hand.

~~~~~~~~~

“Tell me, Jae Joong. What is the thing that you regretted the most in your relationship with HER?” asked Chang Min as he prepared to jot down any important thing on his notebook.  He tried to look as calm as possible, even when he’s anxious as hell on the inside.  He really wanted to avoid this question since it might trigger another break down, but he has to ask this!  This is probably the only way for him to really understand Jae Joong and …her.

His assumption is correct.  Jae Joong looked so shocked when he heard the question. Maybe because he never asked things about her before.  In the past, his question only revolves around him and his fears and his nightmares.  Never once has he asked about her.  Even when he asked about his previous relationships, he tried to keep it as far as possible from her topic.  And this time, he himself emphasize the word her, Shim Hye Min.  

“I don’t know.  Our relationship is beautiful to me.  The only flaw we have is probably me being too busy with my work,” answered Jae Joong in uncertainty.  “And….” provoked Chang Min.  Jae Joong let out a soft sigh.  “And….um…probably me...being a little jealous….”  This somehow attracted Chang Min’s attention.  “By saying that, you mean…..”          

Jae Joong sigh once again, but this time, it’s a distress sigh.  His breathing becomes haggard, hinting in another nervous breakdown.  “We fight a lot…… I mean I fight a lot…..  When I saw her together with another man, I just went crazy.  You know…..I mean….since I was too busy….. I just….. I don’t know……”

“It’s okay. It’s okay!  I’m sorry I asked that!” Chang Min cuts his sentence, putting his client’s well-being as his top priority.  The situation becomes quiet for a while, that is until Chang Min decided to throw another question, “So, what do you know about her? Her family?  Her background?” asked Chang Min again.

He looked at his client meaningfully.  “All I know is that her parents died when she was very young.  She lack of parent’s love, that’s why she loved my parents very much.  She grew up with her older brother.  But, when she was 20, they had a huge fight because, according to her, he didn’t believe her about something, so she moved out.  I met her 2 years later,” said Jae Joong as he reminisce his past.  Chang Min gulped in guilt.

“Jae Joong, okay, I need you to be really honest to me.  What happened that night? What happened at the night of the accident?” asked Chang Min sternly.  He know he shouldn’t be asking that cause it may worsen the situation.  But he HAS to know!  He has the right to know!  And of course his right shouldn’t be known by Jae Joong, or else he would tell him nothing.  And he would certainly hate him.

   To his dismay, Jae Joong shake his head vigorously, indicating that he wouldn’t tell him anything.  A little part of Chang Min died inside.  Alas, he continued persuading Jae Joong.  “Jae Joong please, this will make you feel better.  At least you got rid of small part of the burden….”

Jae Joong continued to shake his head.  His hand started to tremble in fear, want it or not, the memory of the incident started to invade his head again.  “I know how you feel right now.  But believe me, she wouldn’t like it seeing you like this.  Tell me, for her sake,” said Chang Min again.

Jae Joong eyed him in a certain way before he cleared his throat and started speaking, “It…it was my birthday that day, and we decided to celebrate it in her favourite café…….”

*******

Jae Joong smiled like an idiot as he watches her coming to him with a chocolate cake on her hand.   His colleagues are cheering loudly, teasing both of them.  When he finally blew the candles on the cake, he sneakily kissed her cheek and at the same, earned a smack on his arms.  His colleagues cheered even harder.  Jae Joong looked around and saw one of the doctors sitting solemnly in a corner.  It’s Dr. Park Yoo Chun.  He furrowed his brows, wondering why Yoo Chun looked so anxious.   

The party continued with the group of live-saviors mingling and chatting happily with each other.  Jae Joong sat next to her while chatting happily with Yun Ho.  At some point he went to the bathroom and when he came back, Hye Min’s no longer there.

“Yun, where’s Hye Min?” asked him straight away.  Yun Ho shrugged.  “I don’t know.  Yoo Chun came to her earlier on and take her away….. Jae, you know that girl over there?  I think she’s….HEY where are you going?” asked Yun Ho in shock.  “That guy’s seriously…..” mumble him under his breath.  He then flash his million dollar smile to the girl he mentioned before.

Jae Joong searched the entire café but find no trace of her.  When he finally went out of the café, he saw her and Yoo Chun together.  Yoo Chun was pulling her arms, trying to make her stay there while she giggled loudly, trying to walk away from Yoo Chun. 

“Chun let me GO!” said her while giggling loudly.  “Not until you promise me!” continued Yoo Chun, also laughing. “What the hell man!” said Jae Joong in a rather loud tone.  Yoo chun quickly let go of her hand as Hye Min adjusted her position formally.  His heart cannot take this calmly.  He proceed to Yoo Chun and gave him a punch in the face.  Hye Min tried to stop him. “So you’re flirting with my woman now, huh?  Why? There’s no other girl in town that you can screw with?” asked him while landing another punch on his face. 

“Jae, stop it!  What are you doing?!” meddled Hye Min.  He ignores her and continued his thing with Yoo Chun. 

“Jae Joong hyung~  Jae Joong hyung~!  What’s wrong, why are you hitting him?” a dolphin voice popped out to the situation.  Hye Min looked at the owner of the voice in shock. 

“Jun Su!  Glad you’re here!  Your bastard best friend here just flirted with Hye Min…. You better take him away before I break his neck!” said Jae Joong scowling.  “No, Jun Su, it’s not that!  Jae Joong is just…… Well, believe me.  Yoo Chun loves you and he loves you alone!” said Hye Min truthfully.  Jae Joong froze in his place as Jun Su scurried to Yoo Chun’s aid. 

He took Yoo Chun on his arms and take him back with him into the café.  Silence filled the remaining two.  Remarks on Yoo Chun’s face can be heard up to the place they stood.  Yun Ho’s voice was the loudest, “Whoa dude, what happened to your face?”

Upon hearing that Hye Min wants to walk back in, to at least put some ointment on Yoo Chun’s face.  But, on second thought, both Yoo Chun and Jun Su are doctors, so they can treat the wound far better off than her, a simple office worker.  Well, even if she wanted to tend to Yoo Chun’s wound, she can’t, considering the fact that Jae Joong’s gripping her hand tightly at that time.  “Both of them were gay.  I walked in on them this morning, Yoo Chun was so scared that I’d tell others about this since he was famous for being a ladies’ man back then.  He don’t want me to tell anyone…including you.  Now you know, so HAPPY?” asked her as she roughly took her arms away from him. 

The rest of the party went cold.  When they were driving home, he tried to make it up to her.  She was putting on her angry face as she seated comfortably in her passenger seat, and he didn’t want that.  But, she blew up instead.  “You’re sorry?  Oh really?  Will that ‘I’m sorry’ of yours be able to change what happened last night?” asked her in annoyance.  He cleared his throat and said “I’m sorry..” once again.

“Oh really?  Big news!  That’s what you said last week when you hit that Taecyeon guy for hugging me.  Oh excuse me, ACCIDENTALLY hugging me.  Or that Dong Hae guy for confessing to me!  I mean, don’t you ever trust me?  I’m your girlfriend, and I’m well aware of that fact!  I won’t play around with other guy on your back!  Sometimes, I wonder, what makes you different than my brother.  Then, me myself answer my question.  NONE!  Both of you got no difference at all!  Or maybe only one!  When he didn’t trust me and choose to sided with that damn Ji Hyun, I left him.  And you, YOU MY FRIEND has been doing that since we dated!  That would be so unfair for my brother if I didn’t leave you!” said her firmly.  Her face is still red from anger.

Jae Joong quickly looked at her.  “Are you breaking up with me?” asked him.  And the last thing he heard was a loud screeching nearing towards them.  And the last thing he saw was her face, staring at him in a look he shall never understand.  It all happened so fast.  And he remember waking up in the hospital he worked one week later.  With Yoo Chun and Jun Su, sitting next to him while crying.

************

Chang Min listened intently to his story.  The tears that keeps on falling from the corner of his eyes tells Chang Min that he indeed is devastated with what happened between him and her.  Suddenly a knock was heard on his door.  Chang Min cleared his throat and said, “Come in”.  Yun Ho came in with a wide smile.  “I’m here to take him home….. I’m not interrupting anything right?  It’s 5:10 right now.”

“NO! Not at all!”  answered Chang Min almost immediately.  “Jae, come!” said Yun Ho and take Jae Joong with him.  Before they leave, Jae Joong take a last glance on Chang Min and said, “This is the last time, I’m coming here.  I’m sorry….. And before I leave, you wouldn’t think I’d tell that to just any random doctor, do you?” And with that, both of the guys left.

As soon as he realized that he was alone, Chang Min let out the tears he kept on stalling when Jae Joong was around.  “He knows.  At least he’s willing to tell me.  So both of us loses you for the same reason then.  I’m sorry, you were right about Ji Hyun.  Heaven knows how I felt when I found out about her.”

~~~~~~~~~~

“So, how’s therapy today?” asked Yun Ho as he drove into Jae Joong’s lawn.  He has been driving his best friend here and there ever since the accident.  Jae Joong has been so scared at the thought of driving cars by himself, and being the best friend as he is, he do whatever he can to help him.

“It’s alright” mumble Jae Joong as an answer.  Despite not liking the length of his answer, Yun Ho leave it at that.  He parked his car in front of Jae Joong’s house. “Thank you,” said Jae Joong and quickly went out.  “Bye” answered Yun Ho chirpily. 

As he walked in the lawn, his eyes stopped at the sight of a car, a pink car.  He bought it for her back then.  She rarely drive it since he’s always the one who drive her to any place she wanted.  He looked at the passenger seat and saw her sitting contently there. She smiled at him, just as sweet as the smile she used to give him back then.  His heart beats faster than normal.  It’s just like the old times again.  Her seating there, and him supposedly sitting in the driver’s seat, taking her to any place she desired. 

Yun Ho who finds his weird behavior WEIRD quickly went to him.  “Jae, what’s wrong?” asked him.  He swear he can see a faint smile tugging in his best friend’s lips.  Jae Joong shook his head and said, “Nothing.”  He then walked into his house, somehow hoping to see a much happier her in his dream tonight. 

Yun Ho looked at the car Jae Joong looked at just now.  He looks at the passenger seat.  It’s empty.

♛

These stories are analyzed from my point of view. Definitely, everything will be from my opinion. You may feel free to express your opinion about these stories by commenting below. (There is no right or wrong answers)

Well, I had received only one entry but it’s better than nothing, right? Thank you to HyeSuh for participating in this writing contest. Well, let’s start reviewing this wonderful piece of writing.

 I was already glued to this story the moment I read the first paragraph. The first paragraph had already revealed a hint of the obstacle (also known as the ) faced by our main character, Jaejoong and other minor character, Changmin. Jaejoong had faced difficulty to drive again while Changmin had a hard time convincing Jaejoong.  In fact, the whole story itself is the !

Not to forget, I love the use of action words after a dialogue as it brings life to the characters (such as … urged the young therapist softly). It had been used sparingly and doesn’t make the reader confuse.

One of the unique things that I simply love about this story is the constant flashbacks. This is a writing technique that is usually being overlooked by readers. The constant flashbacks tell us about how this pitiful character is stuck in his past and will forever be in his past. Every small little things he did or heard is always linked back to his girlfriend. This not only shows how his girlfriend has greatly influenced him but also the overwhelming guilt for not trusting his girl and drives her to her death. Also, the ‘flashback’ technique lets readers have a better understanding of the story and the conflict.

Other than that, the choice of characters had interest me a lot. The writer tried to break out from the typical characters role such as kingka, queenka, gangsters to list a few, by creating roles such as the therapist and a patient.  It’s had been quite a long time since I’ve read this kind of story. It gives the story a more complicated, sophisticated feel. It also enhances more on the guilt he had, showing how his guilt had drove him to his current condition.

Talking about guilt, I love how the writer adds a spine-chilling scenario to conclude the whole story. (He looked at the passenger seat and saw her sitting contently there She smiled at him, just as sweet as the smile she used to give him back then.) Isn’t it creepy if you see your good friend suddenly smiling at something and when you ask him, you realize that he’s the only one seeing it? It seemed like his illusions and guilt had control his life, reducing his chances of recovering as well as a higher possibility of Jaejoong to have his mentality affected.

Overall, this story has convinced me a lot that the writer had put in a lot of effort and squeeze a lot of brainjuice to connect the past and the present together. Because of this, the story had been well-developed. How I wish this story could be longer.

But one thing that doesn't satisfy me was that there was not much remorse shown in Changmin. Maybe if you were to make this story longer, you may improve on Changmin's relationship with his sister.

Anyways, great job, HyeSuh! This is a simple but unique story. Even if there are many stories submitted, there’s a high possibility that I will pick your story as well. I really hope you can make this one-shot into a fanfiction with chapters in it. Continue writing as you are a good writer. I look forward to your future writings.

Participants:

HyeSuh

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