~12 YEARS LATER~

 

“Eomma! I’m going to meet Hyunsik! I’ll be back for dinner!” shouted Yejun from the front door, as he opened it to go out.

 

“Okay dear, be careful!” said his mother, as she walked out of the kitchen to see him leave.

 

Twelve years had passed and Yejun had grown into a fine young man. He had been adopted when he was twelve and had finally left the orphanage. Yejun had done very well in his studies and managed to enter university quite easily. Yejun and his best friend in high school, Hyunsik, had both secured a scholarship that allowed them to read applied music in university. Yejun walked quickly down the street, worried that he was going to be late in meeting Hyunsik. As he turned at the street corner, he didn’t look where he was going and collided with a man holding a walking stick, causing the man to fall on the pavement.

 

“Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry, Ahjussi!” apologised Yejun profusely as he bent down to help.

 

“It’s all right, boy. I’m okay,” replied the man as he felt the ground around him for his walking stick.

 

“It’s here, sir,” said Yejun, as he handed the walking stick to the man.

 

“Ah, gomawo,” replied the man.

 

Upon closer observation, Yejun saw that the man was not that much older than he was, which surprised Yejun, as he did not look like a person who needed a walking stick. Yejun’s sharp eyes spotted a cut on the man’s hand that was bleeding slightly.

 

“Ahjussi, your hand is bleeding!” exclaimed Yejun.

 

“Jjinja?” asked the man, as he reached for the wound and felt it gently. “Kwenchana, it feels like a small wound. I’ll tend to it when I get home.”

 

“Andwae, ahjussi. It might get infected. Tell you what, I’ll bring you over to my friend’s house and we can attend to your wound there. It’s just round the corner. Are you in a rush to go somewhere?” asked Yejun.

 

“Anni~ I’m not in any hurry. But it really is fine, boy. You’re too kind,” replied the man.

 

“Anni, ahjussi. It’s my fault that I knocked you over. My mother always told me that we should never leave any wound unattended,” insisted Yejun.

 

“Arasso. Where does your friend live?” asked the man.

 

“You can follow me, ahjussi. I’ll hold your walking stick for you and you can hold my right elbow. That way it’ll be easier for you as you walk,” offered Yejun.

 

“Ah, jjinja gomawo. It’s not often that I meet a young man like yourself who is so considerate towards blind people like me,” said the man.

 

“I grew up in an orphanage for many years, ahjussi. I know how it’s like to be disadvantaged,” replied Yejun, as they set off together towards Hyunsik’s house.

 

“Oh, I see. Do you still live in an orphanage?” asked the man concernedly, as they walked.

 

“Anni~ I was fortunate enough to be adopted when I was twelve. Not all the kids were so lucky, though,” replied Yejun with a hint of sadness. “After we reached a certain age, some of us were pushed to foster homes because there simply wasn’t enough space left in the orphanage. But I still try to visit my friends from the orphanage when I have time.”

 

The pair continued their conversation for a few more minutes before they arrived at Hyunsik’s house. Yejun rang the doorbell and the pair waited for someone to open the door. A young man opened the door a few moments later and said, “About time you got here! Do you know what t- Omo, who’s this?”

 

“I collided with this man on my way here and he’s bleeding. Do you have anything we can use to attend to his wound?” asked Yejun.

 

“Of course! Come in!” replied Hyunsik, as he hurried off to bring them the first aid kit.

 

Hyunsik returned with the first aid kit a few moments later and Yejun started tending to the man’s wound.

 

“Ahjussi, if you don’t mind me asking, why do you need a walking stick at your age?” asked Yejun, as he sanitised the man’s wound.

 

"I'm only left with less than 10% of my original eyesight. I can still see faint shadows in daylight but that’s about it. I’ve also lost part of my memory. I still remember most things but the details for some parts of my life are very fuzzy to me now. I'm sorry but I don't really want to talk about it," said the man.

 

“I’m sorry to hear that, ahjussi,” replied Yejun, as he pasted a band-aid over the man’s wound.

 

“It’s all right, boy. I’m already used to it,” said the man with a smile. “Are you boys studying now?”

 

“Neh, ahjussi. Hyunsik and I are both studying applied music in university. Both of us want to be music producers and songwriters in future,” said Yejun.

 

“That sounds wonderful,” replied the man with a smile. However, Yejun could see a hint of sadness in his smile.

 

“Kwenchana, ahjussi?” asked Yejun.

 

“Oh I’m fine, don’t worry, boy. I really must be on my way now,” replied the man.

 

“All right, sir,” said Yejun.

 

Yejun picked up the man’s walking stick and reached for the man’s hand to put it in his hand safely. As he passed the man his walking stick, he noticed a small row of white scars against the man’s beige skin. Yejun was about to ask the man about them when the man said, “Gomawo. Hope you do well in your studies.”

 

“Ah, ahjussi. Would you like me to guide you to where you’re going?” offered Yejun.

 

“Anni~ I know my way around quite well. Goodbye,” replied the man, as he walked out of Hyunsik’s house.

 

As the man walked out of Hyunsik’s house, Yejun couldn’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia.

 

Have I seen him before?

 

“Yejun-ah, are you okay?” asked Hyunsik, as he shook Yejun on the shoulder to shake him out of his reverie.

 

“I feel like I’ve met him before. But I can’t figure out when or where,” said Yejun thoughtfully.

 

“Do you still want to work on that song today? You don’t look like you’re in the right state of mind to do so,” commented Hyunsik.

 

“I’m fine. Let’s continue. Where did we stop the previous time?” replied Yejun, as he pushed all thought of the man out of his mind.

 

…

 

The next day, Yejun headed over to the café near his house. It was his favourite spot to write music and lyrics. The ambience was good and so was the coffee. The lady who owned the café had gotten to know Yejun for many years and nursed a soft spot for him. She would frequently give Yejun a complementary pastry and free top ups for his coffee, as he sat and worked on his music. As Yejun stepped into the café, he was surprised to see the man he bumped into yesterday sitting alone near his favourite corner. Yejun walked up to the man and sat opposite him.

 

“Annehasaeyo, ahjussi,” said Yejun.

 

“A-Annehasaeyo,” replied the man. “Dugusaeyo? You sound familiar.”

 

“I’m the boy who collided with you yesterday, ahjussi,” said Yejun.

 

“Ah, annehasaeyo,” replied the man with a smile. “Are you meeting your friend today?”

 

“Anni~ I normally come here to write my music because I like the ambience and it usually helps my inspiration flow more smoothly. Hyunsik knows not to disturb me when I’m here,” said Yejun with a laugh. “Are you here for your afternoon coffee or something?”

 

“Something like that. I used to come here some years back but the café owner has changed,” said the man. “I’m actually looking for this place that sells jjampong. I don’t know how to describe it to you though.”

 

“Do you know if it is in the area?” aske