CHAPTER I / Awakening
 

I was in a place unknown to me. A dark and lonely place. I don’t know why I’m here. It just happened that I was destined to be here. I could breathe, yes, but I couldn’t see nor feel anything. It felt… void.

In a flash, a beam of light appeared brightly. I closed my eyes as I tried not to blind myself. I slowly opened my eyes and saw that the light was far away from me. It was like I was in a tunnel where there’s a light indicating its end.

“Hello? Is someone there?” I shouted. It echoed throughout the place and yet, no one responded. I’ve heard high-pitched and sweet laughs but I don’t know where it came from. I walked closer to the light, hoping to see something there. As I approach the light, the laughs got louder and more reminiscent to my ears. “Is someone there?” I asked again.

The white light slowly blinded my sight as I pondered on one single question that may take time for me to answer.

“Who am I?”

The busy people in Gwangju Airport were dazed in a peculiar incident happening inside. The employees, together with some of the passengers, were all gathered around in circle as they stared at a man peacefully sleeping on the white ivory-tiled floor.

His black polka dot polo and his black slacks were soaked and his surrounding had paddles of water. His hair’s wet and messy, and so was his whole body. He was in a fetal position, breathing slowly unlike the other people around him. The guards interfered them and went in front of the circle of crowd.

“Sir,” the guard said as he squatted and nudged the shoulder of the man. “Sir,” he reiterated as he put more force in his nudge.

Abruptly, the man opened his big dark brown eyes. The people gasped as they saw him wake up. The man rose as he breathed heavily and coughed continuously.

“Are you okay, sir?” the guard asked.

The man forcefully stopped his cough and looked blankly at the guard. “W-W-Where am I?” he asked.

The guard chortled, finding the man’s question ridiculous. “Sir, you’re at the center of the Gwangju Airport. You were sleeping here for hours.”

“Gwangju Airport?” he asked. He was confused on what’s happening around him. He looked around and saw people of different colors looking at him. Slowly, he stood and noticed that he’s all wet. “S-S-Sorry… I don’t know why I’m here…”

The people were confused, too. They had many speculations in mind. Some thought that he was kidnapped and was brought here secretly. Some thought that it was some kind of supernatural act. Some thought it was a form of exhibition. Some thought that he has gone nuts.

Embarrassed, he got out of the pool of people and shook his arms as he tried to dry up his polo. As he neared the glass exit doors of the airport, he was welcomed by the warm and dry afternoon in Gwangju. It was already the season of autumn and the brown leaves kept rustling and falling off the trees. He stopped for a moment and tried to remember what happened to him before what he had witnessed a while ago.

He closed his eyes and exhaled. It took him a minute to finally realize… to finally realize that he couldn’t remember a single thing. Even his name. It made him frustrated.

Why am I at the airport? Why am I soaked in water? Who am I? These questions kept rounding his mind.

He slowly stepped out of the airport as he pushed the door. As he exited the airport, it started to drizzle.

The people started to remove their different coats and cover their heads as they ran to the nearest shelter they could find. They were hurrying as the rain started to get heavier. The man stopped for a while and looked up as the drops of rain touched his face.

He looked down his body and noticed that he doesn’t have any clothing to cover his body from the rain. He ran and searched for a shelter to stay in.

He looked to the side as he continued running forward. As he moved forward, he bumped a person unintentionally. His eyes widened in shock as he looked down, seeing a woman in short black hair with her books and blue umbrella scattered on the wet floor. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” he said repeatedly as he squatted and helped her pick up her books.

“It’s okay,” the woman said softly as she winced in mild pain. The man stood and offered his hand to the woman. The woman held his soft hands and the man pulled her up. “Thank you,” she said shyly.

The man gave her the umbrella and smiled at her. The woman shyly smiled back and they both stood still, waiting for each other to talk.

“Do you… have an umbrella?” she asked in concern as she saw him soaked.

“None, unfortunately,” the man said as he rubbed his nape in embarrassment.

“D-D-Do you want to share mine?” she asked.

The man looked at him in surprise. He did not expect to get that reply from her, especially that he was a complete stranger to her. “M-M-Mweo?”

“Ah… Ah… please don’t misunderstand this,” she said as she blushed. “I-I’m just worried that your shirt’s already soaked because of the rain.”

“Ah, n-n-ne,” he said. He walked closer to her as the woman raised her right arm to cover the tall man. The man noticed it and he offered to handle the umbrella instead. They continued walking silently as the drops of rain, the car’s horns and the trees made their respective sounds.

“So… where do you live?” she asked.

“I… don’t know,” he muttered.

The woman was puzzled on his answer. She thought that he might be homeless, but she disregarded the thought as she saw his clothes that looked like it was sewed with an expensive fabric.

“D-Do you know me?” he asked, hoping that there’s a chance of her knowing him.

“No…” she answered as she looked to the side, thinking that he was bragging his popularity. “Who are you?”

The man paused as he looked down, thinking of what to answer. “I don’t know,” he said.

~

FROM: MAXSTEPP

Hello! Here's Chapter 1! :) I hope you guys liked it.

As you can see, I still haven't named them. I will soon. :) Regarding what happened to him before, it will be revealed soon! ^^

Thank you for your warm comments, subscriptions and upvotes! I didn't expect that it would be like that. Haha!

'Til the next update. :)