Chapter 005

✥ A smile starts to form on Youngsaeng’s pastel colored lips, “Why? Didn’t you tell me that?”

Kyujong can’t find the words to speak his mind thus instead pulls himself together and put on a blunt expression, “When did I say that?”

The corner of Youngsaeng’s mouth twitch momentarily for Kyujong to notice, “You said that yesterday after school. Or...was it you?” The male his head to the side with uncertainty written all over his face, “It wasn’t you was it…? Or was it you?”

Kyujong blink as he tries to search his memory and catches up to Youngsaeng. Now that Kyujong thought about it, he hadn’t told Youngsaeng that he like him. At least not in the aspect of romance. “Youngsaeng,” Kyujong says to seize Youngsaeng’s attention, “is your head okay? It looks like you’re confusing me with someone else,”

The smile fade on Youngsaeng’s lips as he made a soft clicking sound with his tongue, “No….At first I remember it was you, but then it wasn’t your voice,”

“What are you saying?”

After a moment of silence Youngsaeng only shrugs, “Never mind that since I can’t remember, but can you tell me why I’m here? Did I really get into an accident and forgot about what happened?” The look on his friend’s face ensure Kyujong that Youngsaeng didn’t want to hear that it really happened. In the end Kyujong hum and earn a heavy sigh from Youngsaeng, “Then, could it be that after last night I can’t remember what happen? I mean I remember taking a shower and then going to bed….But when I woke up I was in here? But how did I get into an accident? It’s not like I sleepwalk, Kyujong?”

Kyujong wants to explain everything to Youngsaeng but he himself is just as clueless, plus the depressed look on Youngsaeng’s face isn’t helping. “Youngsaeng, it may be hard now but—”

Youngsaeng sighs cut off Kyujong midway, “You know I hate it when you change the topic, Kyujong. Just be honest with me, did I really lose my memories because of the accident or is this some kind of dream?”

“What’s today date, Youngsaeng?” Kyujong asks slightly serious, putting a thinking face on his friend. Youngsaeng frown briefly before answering.

“If last night was June 8th then wouldn’t today be the 9th?”

“What year is it?”

Youngsaeng sighs a little, “Why are you asking me strange questions? Didn’t I just say I hate it when you change the topic—”

“Just answer me,” Kyujong says, this time in a demanding tone.

“It’s 2009 why? Why are you being so serious?” Youngsaeng raised his dry voice a little, “It’s not like you to get mad, gosh,”

“2009?” Kyujong repeat, as if he didn’t hear it clearly the first time.

“That’s what I said, but why are you curious as to what day it was today?” Youngsaeng asks after composing himself. Kyujong heft a heavy sigh, his sighs always audible and too loud according to Youngsaeng.

“Youngsaeng when the doctor told you you’ve been in a coma, it wasn’t a lie,”

“What are you saying now?” Youngsaeng asks with furrow brows.

“It’s not June 9th, 2009….It’s January 12th, 2016….”

Youngsaeng’s jaw drop a little and his mouth is forced open by what he has just heard. His eyes, too, were wider than their normal size and his heart beat at a rapid speed. “W-what? Say that again,” Youngsaeng forces the words out of his weak figure.

Kyujong can’t believe how far back Youngsaeng’s memory has taken him, with an seven year gap it made sense why Youngsaeng didn’t remember Junghwa. For a moment Kyujong pity Youngsaeng, seven years of his friend’s memory has been wiped clean, erased from his mind. “It’s 2016 Youngsaeng….” He mumble just enough for his companion to hear.

In the moment, Youngsaeng isn’t sure if Kyujong is lying or not. He wants to chuckle at the absurd answer but he couldn’t find himself to, because for whatever reason, he felt that Kyujong wasn’t lying. “You’re saying it’s the year 2016…? Then, did I sleep for seven years? Or—”

“No,” Kyujong cut in, “you were in a coma for more than a year but, your memories....you lost about six years of it….The doctor said it was due to the accident….” For a long and in a long time neither one spoke. Youngsaeng kept his gaze fix on the window to the outdoor as he ponder on his reality, meanwhile Kyujong can only make eye contact with the tiled floors.

After some time, Kyujong step out to get some fresh air after Youngsaeng has fallen asleep again. On his way down the hall he caught a glimpse of Junghwa, sitting alone on the bench with a blank expression. Kyujong thought he could comfort her as he took a seat beside her, after noticing his presence she is the first to speak, “Are you happy that Youngsaeng can remember only you?”

Kyujong knew fairly well that Junghwa isn’t his biggest fan and in fact dislike him for a while after he left Youngsaeng and Junghwa alone. “As his wife wouldn’t the better question be, how is he doing?” Kyujong heard a scoff from the lass beside him.

“Now you’re making fun of me because he can’t remember me, fine, go ahead. But one day if his memories come back you’ll be the one who’ll look like the fool,” she states. Her snappy tone is the least of Kyujong’s worries at the moment, he knows she only believes what she wants to believe.

“Youngsaeng’s memories, it looks he’s living in the year 2009,” Kyujong says directly.

A scrowl frown grew onto the woman’s face, “What? 2009?”

“He thinks he’s a senior in high school again. Those were the days before he got to meet you in college,” Kyujong explains, making it clearer for Junghwa.

“So, you’ll help me bring back his memories, right?” She asks out of the blue with a change of tone. Kyujong grew fluster.

“There’s nothing I can do for him, I’m sure if you spend time with him then his memories of you will come back—”

“Didn’t you hear what the doctor said? And didn’t you say you’ll do whatever you can to help before you leave? Are you playing around right now?” Junghwa raise her voice once more, “What did we do to you that was so bad that you had to cut ties with him for two whole years? You really didn’t show your face once,”

Kyujong turns to face her, seeing how she is waiting for his answer with desperation. Finally he make the decision and speak, “Sorry, but I can’t do this,”

“Do what? Help Youngsaeng? Why, do you feel guilty?”

Kyujong turns away from her before answering in a low voice, “I have work to do,” he says as an excuse, “I won’t be coming back to Seoul anymore.” Even if Youngsaeng can’t remember that Kyujong had left their friendship first, Kyujong was fully aware that the chances of Youngsaeng regaining his memories were quite high. Hence, he didn’t want to jinx it and stay, in case his feelings for his friend may return and hurt him again.

A heavy scoff leaves Junghwa’s mouth, “Now you’re going to run away from responsibility? Are you really his friend? Now that he needs you, you’re going to act this way?”

“I thought you didn’t want me around him?”

“I don’t, but he needs you!” Junghwa raise her voice, earning the attention from other patients and guests. Even nurses turn their head to see what the ruckus is all about.  Junghwa’s voice is shaky, her lap and hands were all shaking. She quickly composes herself and hang her head, “Please Kyujong, help him remember….For the whole two years that you abandoned your friendship with him, please make it right this time by helping him and me….Please, there’s no one else I can think of….”

“Why does it have to be me? I’m sure if he can remember, he’d rather make new memories with you instead,” Kyujong says, “I can help you and Youngsaeng with anything, but I can’t help him with his memories. That’s up to Youngsaeng whether he wants to remember or not,” Kyujong stands from his seat just to hear more of Junghwa desperate cries.

“If you leave now, what would I do if he never remembers me?” She asks, a little to soft for her normal tone. “Youngsaeng had no one but Hyungjun and I here, but now that he can’t even remember me and Hyungjun is somewhere else, who is going to take care of him?”

With Junghwa’s words in mind, Kyujong had found himself sitting in his car alone with an empty stomach and heavy eyes. It is already nighttime and he had unintentionally forgotten his assistant who had made more than fifty calls in the past four hours and sent over twenty text messages. But not once did the dying calls of his phone caught his distracted attention or beeping of the messages snatch his awareness. Kyujong can only sigh as he couldn’t decide whether to leave for Incheon already or stay for Junghwa’s sake, because unfortunately Youngsaeng doesn’t have a clue as to what was happening or happened.

A knock came to the window on the passenger side, waking Kyujong from resting his eyes briefly. He noticed the bloody red, killer eyes of his assistant who’s eager for an explanation. Kyujong unlocks the door after Sungyeol gestured toward the locked door, and once Sungyeol got into the car he slam the door shut and growls, “Are you kidding me?! What happened to picking me up!? Why didn’t you pick up your phone or least message me back?! Why? Are you ignoring me right now? When I’m talking to you, how dare you ignore me?! Hey! Kim Kyujong!”

Sungyeol’s arms were getting heavy after he kept tossing them in the air to expression his anger and resentment toward the whole situation.

But Kyujong keeps his cool, “What should I do, Sungyeol?” he whispers ever so softly.

“What?” Sungyeol asks in a loud voice, as if he’d be awarded for the loudest tone of the hour, “Didn’t you hear any of what I’ve just said? Ah right, I forgot that ignoring me and changing the topic is your forte,”

“He can’t remember,” Kyujong says in the break of Sungyeol’s endless complaints.

“What are you saying right now? Who can’t remember? Ah wait, why am I curious? Didn’t I just say don’t change the topic on me—”

“Youngsaeng can’t remember,”

Sungyeol grew silent for a moment, confused by Kyujong’s words, “What do you mean? Can’t remember? What can’t he remember? Besides,” Sungyeol scan their surrounding, “why are you here? Isn’t this the hospital? I thought you had something to take care of?”

Kyujong relax his tense shoulders while keeping his focus directly in front of him, “For the past year Youngsaeng has been in a coma,”

“C-coma?” Sungyeol stutters, shock by the sudden news.

“Fortunately Youngsaeng woke up and he’s fine but….”

“His mind isn’t?” Sungyeol guess, earning Kyujong’s surprise expression. “It’s a common factor for patients who has just woken up from long comas,”

A brief smile grew on Kyujong’s face for the first time in a long time, “I forgot you studied medicine in school,” he comments.

Sungyeol blew off the insult or compliment given by his boss, “So Youngsaeng cannot remember you? Is that what you wanted to say?”

“Not really,” Kyujong answer, “it’s more like his memories took him back to the year 2009,”

“Seven years ago!?” Kyujong hums while Sungyeol process the information he just heard. “So, then, what are you going to do?”Sungyeol questions but Kyujong only shook his head gently.

“I don’t know,”

The truth is Kyujong knew, he wanted to take Youngsaeng with him but he feared of how Youngsaeng would react if he were to remember. Kyujong would need to come up with a valid reason why he showed up again after two years and why he left without a word if say Youngsaeng’s memories were to come crawling back to him.

The problem was, when will his memories return? No one knew for sure.

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