Later that evening, Seung Ho posted a note on my door telling me to meet him. It was 8 p.m. and I knocked the door to his room.

“Come in,” said Seung Ho. I entered his room, not knowing what he was going to say.

“Follow me,” he ordered. He left the room and I followed him. He took me to the beach that was near our hotel. Then he walked over to a spot where there were two rocks side by side. I caught my breath. This looks exactly like our spot in Hawaii, I thought.

“Come here and sit next to me, Ji Sung,” said Seung Ho to me, patting the rock next to him. I sat down near him and closed my eyes as I breathed in the salty sea air. Seung Ho began to study Ji Sung.

*He looks like Ji Yeon in a way,* he thought.

*Could he be Ji Yeon in another form?* Seung Ho didn’t believe in reincarnation but Ji Sung was too much like Ji Yeon for him. He wanted to see if somehow Ji Sung was Ji Yeon so he had to test him.

“Ji Sung, you want to hear a story?”

“Sure,” said Ji Sung eagerly.

Seung Ho smiled as he told his story. 

“There was once this rich boy who came from a messed up family. He had no friends at all. Then one day he met this little girl who became his friend. She was really nice to him, unlike his family, so he began to adopt her as his dongsaeng.” Seung Ho paused right there to see Ji Sung’s reaction.

My smile faded when Seung Ho began his story. He was talking about our life in Hawaii. Then I figured out he was testing me. 

*The respirator*, I thought. 

*I must have drained it when I used it so now he suspects me*. I steadied myself and tried my best to give no reaction.

Seung Ho stared at Ji Sung, who appeared to have no reaction to the story. 

“Well what do you think?” Seung Ho asked him.

“That’s a cute story, hyung,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. Seung Ho continued.

“Do you know why he took extra care of his dongsaeng?” Ji Sung shook his head no.

“It’s because she has this heart problem and needed this respirator to breathe.” He took out the respirator from his pocket and showed it to Ji Sung. Again, no reaction.

“Poor girl,” said Ji Sung.

“Yes, poor girl,” said Seung Ho sadly. 

“She died a few years later.” I looked at Seung Ho sadly. I knew Seung Ho felt bad because of my death but since I’m no one special to him, it wouldn’t matter if he knew the truth that Ji Yeon was still alive and with him right now. Then Seung Ho took out a stone and handed me one. I rubbed the white marble stone for a while. “Throw it,” he told me. I shook my head no. To me the stone was like a present so I didn’t throw it but simply kept it in my pocket. Seung Ho threw his into the ocean. It skipped 3 times.

“Perfect,” he said.

“Why is it perfect?” I asked him. This time, I wanted to know the significance of the 3-skip. 

“When the stone skips 3 times, it means 3 words. I love you.” I looked at Seunh Ho in an overwhelming joy. Did Seunh Ho love me? He had thrown the rock and it skipped 3 times many times before.

“So did the rich boy ever really loved his dongsaeng?” I asked Seung Ho. Seung Ho looked at me.

“Of course he does. He has a lot of brotherly love for her.”

“Oh,” I whispered softly. My heart began to ache. As Seung Ho continued staring at the ocean, I began to walk home with a heavy heart. Seung Ho began to shake his head.

*Ji Yeon’s dead already so why am I denying my love for her?* he thought to himself as he stared out to the ocean.

“Actually, Ji Sung, the rich boy loved his dongsaeng the first day he met her but he’s such a weak person. He could never admit his feelings for her and just waited for her to say that she loves him first.”

Seung Ho turned around and saw that Ji Sung had left.

*Oh well* he thought as he headed back to the hotel.

---> to be continued...