"What do you think you're doing, Oh Sehun? That doesn't help her at all, just for you to know!" 

 

Oh Sehun leans his body against the wall, he wipes his face, feeling exhausted. Min Kyung bites her lips, she walks back and forth, hands on her waist. 

 

"Why did you hide the truth from her? Why did you work so hard, pretending like this is all you are to her? It doesn't make sense, Oh Sehun. You are not her friend but," 

 

"I have my own reason why I did this, Min Kyung." 

 

"What stupid reason you have in your mind, Oh Sehun? What is it? You know how much you meant for her, and how important she is for you. Are you crazy?" 

 

"Min Kyung, I'm tired." 

 

"Everyone is, Oh Sehun. She trusts you, a lot. Can you imagine when suddenly she gains her memory back, and then she has to go through the fact that his boyfriend is lying to her? Do you know how much your action will pressure her? For God sake! You guys are driving me nuts!" 

 

Min Kyung leaves him, feeling the disappointment. When Oh Sehun takes a few steps to the restroom, a wave of fatigue sweeps over him. He leans against the door, feeling grief, he cannot speak as if there's a lump in his throat. 

 

***** 

 

It turns out that Kim Minseok is not the sort of person who takes kindly to the words 'no' from me. He appears today as well, this time with a bunch of soft pink peonies. It is that time on a fall afternoon, when the sun is bright and burnishing, and time is sprinting away.

 

"I just have this feeling that we are connected to each other. That we are meant to be." He says. His eyes crinkling at the edges as he smiles. 

 

I ignore the glint in his eyes, and the beautiful peonies on my lap. I thought he left me already but forty minutes later he comes back with a punnet of strawberries and some muffins. He's been amazing to put up with my attitude and the fact that I don't speak to him that much. 

 

"Just in case if you're hungry," 

 

"And if you happen to be thirsty as well, maybe you can have this fresh milk. Here we have strawberry flavor, chocolate, vanilla and 100% milk. Everything is less sugar. No, I mean free sugar. I got this from the mart they offered 10% discount. It's amazing, don't you think?" 

 

"Thank you." I say, trying to keep my composure. 

 

"You want to have the milk now? I can help you to," 

 

"I'm not thirsty. Sorry." 

 

He pantomime exaggerated despair, his shoulders flattening, his head falling. Oh God. He's funny, and attractive. It's calculated to make me smile, and it works. 

 

"But.. " I say before I can help myself. Damn it. He's got to me after all. "I might be later on. So, leave the milk there." 

 

I watch his face carefully for his reaction to see that he is grinning. He settles in next to my wheelchair, I can feel his long stare. This guy with a cute, puppy smile, he's like a confetti. Sprinkling me with colors, always. 

 

"Stop looking at my 'pretty' purple face, ajusshi." I say. 

 

"Eh hey, I'm not yet 25, agashi. I'm Kim Minseok. Kim.. Min.. Seok. Aged 21. And you're... gorgeous." 

 

From anyone else's lips the words might have sounded cheesy, but somehow this guy said it in a way that makes his confidence stunningly attractive.

 

"Is that a compliment? With bruises cover my face, and this broken leg?" 

 

"Of course it is. To call someone as beautiful, it is subjective. Well, it depends on an individual. Some may consider a woman with flawless skin as a beauty, and some of us think of slim waist as the beauty symbol. But as for me, it's you. You are the subject of pretty." 

 

I squint my eyes to his cocky words. 

 

"You look like a princess to me." 

 

My heart stops beating. The image of someone flashes in my mind, and his voice echoed, causing a sharp pain on my back head. 

 

 

 

 

I can feel my body starts shivering, as I hold my head with both hands and groan. Kim Minseok is panic but he immediately gathers his mind and grabs my hand. And my hand is shaking in his. He grasps my finger tightly to stop the shivers. It is as though a sudden fever's come over me. My face is flushed with heat, my brow is beaded with perspiration, but my hands are ice-cold.

 

"Are you okay? Does it hurt? I'll get the nurse, wait here!" 

 

My eyes wildly searching for the image that appears in my eyes just now but unfortunately it disappears, dissolves with the air in a blink. 

 

Because I like you, princess. I like you a lot!

 

I try to stand without a stretcher but end up falling on the grass. The pain shoots me on my broken leg. My eyes drop a tear. 

 

Princess, I'm here!

 

I miss you, princess.. nae princess.. 

 

Apparently I scream, cursing myself because I cannot remember the face of a voice that lingers around me. Who are you? Why I can't remember any single thing about you? Why?! 

 

*****

 

"She's been very strong," One of the doctors said. 

 

"She had a compound fracture of the bones in her lower leg, and some bruises around the waist. She will need a surgery by tomorrow morning so that we can do something to keep the broken bones in place. And a cut on her head, it will leave a permanent scar. Not to mention the psychological trauma of having a step brother who'd been torturing her." 

 

"And now she has to fight with her inner-self to get her memory back." 

 

Oh Sehun swallows his saliva, his throat feels sick. Seeing his princess in the hospital, a quiet but tough young woman, who'd always seems so calm, it upset Oh Sehun more than he can says. She looks like a frightened little girl in the bed, pale and in a mess. 

She is trembling so hard she has to fold her arms around herself, as if she might break apart otherwise. She lies there, looking small and frightened. 

 

"Feeling better?" 

 

I open my eyes slowly to see Oh Sehun is sitting next to my bed. He gives me a glass of water and helps me to wake up from bed, leaning in the thick, comfortable pillow against the headboard. 

 

"Someone found you collapsed in the garden this afternoon." He says calmly.

 

"What time is it now?" 

 

"Five to ten. You sure had a good sleep." He jokes around. But I notice that his voice is trembling. 

 

Oh Sehun takes off his cap, and I'm struck by how dark and wavy his hair is, trailing down his elegant neck. That's weird, because I suddenly want to tuck that beautiful hair behind his ears, trace my fingers along the folds of his ears. Then he gazes at me, sending chills and warmth through me at once.

 

"Wae gu rae? Do you have something in mind that you want to share with me? I'm your chinggu after all." Oh Sehun says in a small voice. He sure has a hard time to recognize himself as a friend to his princess. 

 

"I almost forget about that. The fact that you're my friend. Mianhe." I say dryly. 

 

I sigh, suddenly missing a person I cannot even recall how he looks like. So far, I know he has one of those bright, open faces I could tell anything to, because he always be on my side. 

 

"Things are a bit difficult," I continue after a long pause.

 

"You know I'm here, always." 

 

I shut my eyes and lean back against the headboard. I tuck my feet up until the knee touched my chin and put my arm around the knees. Oh Sehun is there, still, listens to my murmur, immobile. 

 

"Uri Appa.. " I pause for a few seconds before continue. 

 

"Uri Appa, when I was a small girl, he brought me everywhere, to his workplace, to the fun-fair, to the mart, even to the food-truck that he always had his drinks. I can remember the soju smell very well." I smile weakly. 

 

"And one day, Appa was kicked out from his workplace because the economy back then was not so good, and the factory was closed. He was so frustrated, and angry. He brought me to drink soju, until midnight. He cried, and cried." I say, lowering my voice. 

 

"Someone came to us and sat next to me. I think he's the same age with Appa, looking at his grey hair and wrinkles around his eye corner. He talked to Appa, negotiating something that I barely understood." 

 

The blood is roaring in my ears and I have to force myself to get the words out. His eyes lock on mine until I have to lower my head. Tears fill my eyes. 

 

"Appa suddenly grabbed his collar, and they were about to hit each other when I stopped them with my small strength. The old man forced me to follow him into a car but I cried, calling for Appa. Appa was drunk, he wasn't listening I guess." I wipe my teary eyes, hands trembling. 

 

"The old man, that bastard, he touched my legs. He ripped my clothes," I choke on my own words. 

 

Oh Sehun freezes in his place, his heart skips a beat. "Geun man hae. Stop it, if you feel like you cannot handle this anymore." He says, hands shaking. 

 

"Appa killed a person because he wanted to save me. Appa is not a murderer. He's not. It was all my fault," I finally cry, letting out a loud sobs. My fists tightened. 

 

"A-ara, geun man hae. Pl-please, stop." Oh Sehun pleads. 

 

"Nae Appa is not a murderer! But why are they calling me a murderer's daughter? Wae?!" I wail, tears swelling in my eyes. I grab the glass jar on the table next to the bed and throw it against the wall. 

 

Oh Sehun is stunned by my wild behavior, his voice cracking. He is tearful and bewildered when the nurses rushing into the room, all gawping in surprise to see the broken glass everywhere. Few of them hold my arms tightly, and I cry out like a lunatic. 

 

"Let her go! Don't touch her!" Oh Sehun get into the circle and hugs me, I can feel his warm body against mine. He puts his arms protectively around my body.

 

"We need to give her a shot, immediately!" The medical assistant insists, but Oh Sehun stops them.

 

"Later, please. Give us a minute," He begs. 

 

As Oh Sehun tries to reassure me, I listen with all my energy, which I think he knows because my body is sagging and my eyelids are dropping. I notice from my hazy vision that his eyes mist but Oh Sehun has to be strong for this. 

 

"It's alright, it's alright, I'm sorry they scared you." He my hair, choking on his own words. 

 

"Appa is not a murderer," I say, trying to swallow my grief. A sob caught in my throat. 

 

"I know things went wrong between us. I'm sorry," He says. "I wasn't myself, I wasn't thinking straight. All I know is, when you left.. I was gutted. Devastated. It hit me, what a big mistake I've made." 

 

I have no idea what is he explaining about, but one thing for sure, I feel safe with him, in his arms. I miss having somebody hold me. Sometimes I even miss the person I don't even remember, crazy as it might sound. 

 

"I'm sorry, I didn't know it would be like that. I'm sorry, princess." 

 

By the time he finishes his words, I close my eyes, and my world turns black in a second. 

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