“Are you really who I thought you are?”

His unfamiliar frigid tone and stony expression brings chill to her spine. He knows…He now knows—her mind keeps repeating.

            “You…Who are you?”

Seo Hyun swallows hard.

            “Come inside….I will tell you everything….”

She enters the house and Yonghwa follows her. When Seo Hyun decided to give in to her heart, she had also accepted the fact that there is a possibility of Yonghwa finding out the truth…she just have to be prepared. Although she hopes that this won’t happen. She was taken by surprise but she knows what to do. She thought about this scenario before and there’s only one way for her………..tell him the truth.

How he found out is no longer important….Seo Hyun just wants him to hear the complete truth from her. Her hands are shaking so she clutches them together. She takes a deep breath before facing Yonghwa. She’s going to try her best to be calm in order for her to explain everything clearly.

            “Before you think of anything, please listen to what I have to say.”

Yonghwa’s brows furrow. Seo Hyun starts speaking.

            “This would definitely sound insane but please…..listen…”

Yonghwa remains to be just staring. He definitely wants to hear what she has to say.

            “A few weeks ago, there was this old woman…sitting alone in her rocking chair by the window. Looking at the setting sun…she kept asking herself, ‘Where did all the time go?’” Seo Hyun says with her eyes staring at space. “No matter how many times she asks….she couldn’t find the answer. All she know is that she felt cheated on by it.” She remembers the view of that fading sun and her wrinkled hand trying to reach it. “There is this young woman….being the sole daughter of the Seo household, she lives her life inside the bubble of absolute comfort and security. No matter how much she tells herself that she’s fortunate but still, she feels undeniably hollow and lonely.”

Yonghwa still puzzled by Seo Hyun’s words, continue to listen.

            “Then an unexpected chance presented itself…..both decided to take it. And because of that chance….” She meets his eyes “I’m here.”

The crest on Yonghwa’s forehead deepens while Seo Hyun prepares herself to say something which will sound even crazier.

            “I……I drank a few drops from the fountain of youth and because of that, I returned to youth….From being sixty seven years old, I became eighteen again.”

            “Wait, what are you saying?”

            “I, who’s an old woman was given the chance to be young again. I might appear young but in reality, I’m already an old woman.”

A crook smile flashes his face.

            “You don’t have to tell such lie.…stop making this ridiculous story.” He says.

            “I hope the truth is as simple as that but no…..” she swallows hard. “I have to tell you the complete truth….I only returned to youth so that I could experience life once more before I go. In order to do that, I have to come up with a different identity.”

            “No…..” Yonghwa utters. He’s shock and confused with what she just confessed. “You’re just saying this weird stuff because you’re afraid to answer my question.”

Seo Hyun shook her head.

            “Where’s grandma Seo? Where is she?” Yonghwa suddenly heads towards the old woman’s room. He’s afraid that something bad happened to the old woman just like what the former house help assumed.

Seo Hyun follows him. Yonghwa grabs the doorknob….The last time he saw grandma Seo was a few weeks ago. Seo Hyun wasn’t in this place yet that time. He quickly turns it and enters the room where Seo Hyun often tells him that her grandma is resting.

The room is empty. The bed is neatly fixed. How come? Seo Hyun told her that her grandma is there….each time he visits.

            “Where is she? What did you do to her?” Yonghwa is afraid to even imagine that Seo Hyun did something terrible in exchange of her claims of being a Seo.

Seo Hyun opens the drawer of her wooden desk and takes out a photo from there.

            “This is a picture of my family.” She gives him the picture she took with her parents at the lakeside.

Yonghwa receives the old photo and sees the masters of the house, Mr. Seo and his wife. He knows them since there’s a big portrait of them in the living room. In their middle, sits a young woman. She looks exactly as Seo Hyun but older. Suddenly, he feels a strong pit in his stomach. He looks up to Seo Hyun.

            “Can’t you see, the truth is now in front of you…..that old woman you know as grandma Seo is none other than me….” She admits.

Next to her is an oil portrait hanging on the wall. It is a picture of a young lady in hanbok. Her posture is filled with grace and femininity while her lips are curve in a reserved smile. Her great social status is mirrored by her elegant dress and neatly braided hair yet, there’s a hint of sadness in her eyes. This lady in the portrait is indeed Seo Hyun. Yonghwa read the date written by the artist in the lower right side of the oil painting….June 28, 1965.

Whether he admit it or not, he knows that his mind is starting to absorb the things she’s saying.

Tears starts building up in Seo Hyun’s eyes. She knows that her revelation is a big blow to him.

            “Initially, I never plan to get you involve in this…God knows how hard I tried to suppress my feelings but I failed. I was too arrogant to think that I can be satisfied just by being beside you as a friend. But then because of my greed, I did everything to stay closer to you. When you told me that you like me too……..I couldn’t stay away. I shouldn’t have done this to you…How could I? It’s my mistake…I’m sorry…I’m sorry.” She apologizes between her tears.

            “Tell me that this is just a big joke. Tell me that you can’t possibly be grandma Seo because you’re Seo Hyun.” Yonghwa says. He made his last attempt to deny the reality.

She carefully shook her head.

            “Seo Hyun……..”he calls her name. His eyes are pleading.

She could easily say that it’s a joke dragged too far but she doesn’t want to keep him in the dark any longer. She’s scared but she must let go of her pretentious identity and show him the real her. She wants to stand in front of him in complete honesty.

            “It’s Seo Joohyun….” She says with unswayable tone.

His eyes turn completely blank. His feet move.

            “Y…Yong..” Seo Hyun holds his arm. Yonghwa glances at her hand but he removes its grasp on him.

Without looking back, he leaves her. Seo Hyun bit her lower lip. The tears keep flowing and her knees loses strength that she falls on them. Her heart is broken into tiny pieces……she’s now in pain because she knows how much her truth hurts Yonghwa.

She cries her heart out.

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The next day, Yonghwa didn’t show up for school. Ji Ah and Yumi asked her about it but she just shrugged her shoulders and told them that she has no idea either.

During the class, Seo Hyun keeps on glancing over Yonghwa’s empty desk. She knows that he’s intentionally avoiding her and she can’t blame him. She wished that he won’t know until the day for her to leave arrives but she also made a decision to tell him everything if he finds out before that. After all, she thinks that she owes him an explanation and he deserves only the truth.

            “Aren’t you going to eat Hyunie?” Yumi asks her.

It’s now their lunch break. Despite all the food in front of her, she doesn’t feel like eating.

            “I’m sorry but I don’t have the appetite.” She responds. Then she moves her lunchbox towards them. “You can have this. Excuse me for a bit.” She stands up.

Yumi and Ji Ah exchange stares. They feel that Seo Hyun is sad and Yonghwa’s absence has something to do with it but they chose not to say anything.

Seo Hyun was able to find an empty classroom. She enters it and closes the door behind her. The sunray coming out of the windows serves as the only light inside the room. Seo Hyun quietly sits on one of the seats there.

She’s worrying so much about Yonghwa. She wants to go and see him but she knows that she is the last person he wishes to see now. Going to his house will only make the situation even worse. He’s definitely mad at her for deceiving him…..he even might be afraid of her now or what’s worse is that he finds her disgusting. Seo Hyun doesn’t know what she would do if he stares at her with fright and disgust.

Her hand felt the phone inside her pocket. She takes it out and stares at it. Yonghwa gave it to her telling her to call him whether she needs help or not. He helped her for a lot of times and now that he’s having a hard time, she couldn’t do anything to help him.

She calls him. It rang and rang but Seo Hyun is determined to wait. After a few minutes, he picks up.

               “Yong, it’s me.”

He’s not speaking but she knows that he’s there.

            “Please don’t hang up. I just called to say a few more words….after this, I promise not to bother you anymore.” There’s no response from the other line but he’s not hanging up either so she continues. “It was not my intention to deceive you but things happened like this. I know that what I did to you is horrible….I blame myself for it too.” With her selfish act, she caused pain to the person she loves. “I’m sorry that I’m weak….I should have been stronger in rendering my feelings. A person like me is not worthy of your forgiveness.” She wants to ask him not to skip meals and take care but she knows that she’s not in the position to demand something from him. “I don’t have much time with me therefore; it won’t be long before I leave this place.” Her grasp on the phone tightens. “You don’t have to worry…..once I leave, our memory and time together…I’ll bring them all with me. My face, my voice, even my name will be erased from your memory.It will be as easy as waking up from a blurry dream. I assure you that I’ll be gone without leaving a trace. Everything is going to be alright…..you just have to wait a bit.” Seo Hyun swallows hard to get rid of that lump in . “From now on, you don’t have to feel burdened because of me…..Live well, Yong.” She quickly presses the end button. Holding the phone, her hand lifelessly hangs on the side while the other hand covers to suppress her weeps. She cries silently in her solitude.

________________________________________________________________

Seo Hyun decided to drop by the comfort room to fix herself. Yumi and Ji Ah will be worried if she returns with a just cried face.

In front of the mirror, she took some deep breathes to calm herself. She carefully dabs the sides of her eyes with a handkerchief. In the end, she decided to wash her face but as soon as the water touches her hand, she suddenly feels pain in her stomach.

            “Ahh….”a low groan escapes her lips.

Her hand automatically touches her stomach. The pain can’t be ignored.

            “What’s happening?” she asks herself. Is it because of indigestion again? But she had barely ate anything today.

Her other hand clutches tightly to the sink counter for support.

Yeong Won appears.

            “Time is shredding. The condition of your body is returning to its original state.” Ne says.

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[Author's Note]:

Seohyun decided to deal with the situation heads on. This story is heading to its conclusion so please watch out for the last few chaps. What do you think of the current events? Comment please.