Losing someone that meant the world to you almost had the same feeling as dying. No matter how hard we try to forget the unfortunate things that had happened in our lives, those memories can never be undone. We could never be able to turn back the time just to see the smiles of our beloved ones. But time passes and life goes on, and the only thing we could do is to accept that these things had already happened. But still, acceptance is the hardest part. How can you accept that those things had already when it just seemed like yesterday?

It was like just yesterday you were having the best times in your life, but you just closed your eyes for a few seconds and when you opened them again, there was already nothing. No one.

Maybe I’ll be able to forget all of these. All of him. But not just today, or tomorrow or the day after…

I don’t know when or how long, but maybe… just maybe, when enough time has passed, I’ll be able to move on and not look back again.

“Uhmm, auntie can I go upstairs? I’ll just go have some air maybe”, I looked at her from across the table.

She quickly gave a gentle nod and a sympathetic smile, “Sure Bommie”.

 I’ve never liked the way people gave me these weird looks and sympathetic smiles as if my world has came crumbling down… and maybe it did. They all knew what had happened and I wished they just didn’t, but that would be just impossible, they all knew him and he was close to all of him. So I just got used to it and didn’t let it affect me too much.

I went upstairs, and just like my words I did just that and even my mind seemed to drift away altogether with the wind.

“Hey babe”, I may not see him but I can see him smiling from ear to ear. I brought my phone closer against my ear. Hearing his voice, instantly made my day, it was only a few days since I’ve heard from him, but it still felt like forever. As cheesy as that may sound, it was the truth.

“Hi”, and I was just the same, smiling like an idiot.

“So, I’ll be there in a few hours”, I heard him lock his car at the background.

“Yeah, I can’t wait”, I knew he heard the anxiety and excitement mixed in the tone of my voice.

“So, I’ll see you?”

“Hmm, sure. I love you”

“Yeah, I love you t---“, his voice was cut off and I heard a loud thud at the background before the beeping from his phone was the only thing that I heard. And just like that, I unconsciously dropped my phone to the ground.

Panic washed through me, I knew something didn’t felt right. And that was just too weird for him to be alright.

I quickly picked up my phone from the floor and dialed his number once again.

One ring

Two rings

Three rings

Four

Five

Ten

Twenty

Forty

Was that already too many or it wasn’t still enough? I can stay still on my sit since he wasn’t picking up. And I can’t help but be a pessimist at the moment, for there’s just this tugging feeling inside of me that’s signaling me that something was up.

Jiyong was still 4 hours drive away from where I was and I’m not exactly sure where he was at that time we made a short conversation.

Sweat was coming off from my skin too much, but I hadn’t paid any attention to that. My mind was whirling with thoughts that I don’t like. It must have already been hours since I was pacing and walking in directions around my living room when my phone suddenly rang.

It was Jiyong.

“Hello?”, but the voice didn’t belong to him. It was from a different man and seemed like it was in a hurry.

“H-hello?”, I was shaking and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to hear the rest of this.

“Is this Ms. Park Bom?”

“Uh yes?”, I don’t know why but it come off so unsurely.

“You were the on the number one of speed dial so I thought you may be the closest to him, uh Kwon Jiyong?”

“Ah yes, t-this is his girlfriend”

“He’s at the hospital right now”, his words sent all my thoughts in different directions and I couldn’t seem to gather all of it. I was going insane.

Maybe this was a mistake. Maybe it was all just a coincidence. But it was all just too right to be just a coincidence.

“Which hospital?”

And right when he answered which it is, I came running off from my house and straight to my car. Maybe I was just driving off from the speed limit but I just didn’t care, they can do all they want but right now I just need to see him.

When I arrived at my destination, I jumped off from my car quickly and dialed his aunt’s number.

“Uhmm hello?”, now I wasn’t sure exactly what to say

“Bommie is that you?”

I nodded though she cannot see me, “Yes”

“What is it?”,

“I’m at the hospital right now. J-Ji… H-he…”, my thoughts were all scattered and my mind wasn’t cooperating at all. And to be honest, I wasn’t exactly sure what happened to him.

She didn’t question further, “What hospital?”

I quickly answered her and she replied, “I’ll be there. Just hang on, okay? Be strong” That was all she said when she hung up.

After a few minutes, I saw her figure made its way towards me. I was sitting at one of the chairs, waiting for the doctors to be finished with the surgery. The nurses had told me it was from a bullet. But there really no culprit, it was a stray bullet. But damn those stupid people, why would they even do that? Don’t they ever think that some lives of others may be at risk for that?

After a few more hours, a doctor from the room where Jiyong comes out. But he said nothing but just shook his head and bowed. Then he excused himself.

Then just like that, I don’t know what happened anymore when darkness consumed me and I fell unconscious.

I didn’t know exactly how long I was standing there and it was just then that I just realized that I was actually crying.

Tears have welled up in my eyes and I just let them flow uncontrollably.

Suddenly, I felt something tugged at my shirt.

“Jaeyoon”, Jiyong’s little cousin.

He looked up at me with weary eyes mixed with utter confusion.

“Why are you crying?”, his little voice asked me carefully.

“Nothing. I just miss your Jiyong oppa”, I responded trying to wipe off the tears that had stained my cheeks.

But then I saw the confusion in his eyes deepen.

The next words that escaped from his lips terrified me,

“Why? He’s standing right there”.

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Based from a true story