♫ When I try to forget the past times, I can’t forget it (I can’t forget it)
Your voice that used to always call my name roams in my ears (Roams in my ears)♫
*from Back to You by Beast

Basketball --- a word --- one word, which made Minji lose all her concentration. She didn't even pay attention to any of her classes and everything went by like a blur. Throughout the rest of the day, she continued to look out the window while dazing in and out of consciousness.

~a memory~ (8 years ago)

Minji, who was about the age of 10,  was running towards the house next door. She was so excited that her ponytail was bobbing up and down while she zoomed past through the bushes. At that moment, she didn’t care about anything. She just cared about getting to that house because there, sat an 11 years old boy with short jet black hair on the steps of the stairs in front of the door. When she reached him, she stood in front of him with her hands in each side of her waist. Her face was stricken like a mom scolding her kid. She was standing there trying to catch her breath, while the boy just sat there with a ball in his right hand. He was staring at the girl, fascinated by her every move.   

At last, she inhaled deeply and shouted, “Yoon Doojoon, where have you been?”  

Even if the girl was mad, he just smiled, “Miss Kim Minji, I was playing basketball,” he answered calmly.

“Basketball?! Why do you like that sport so much?”

“Come on, sit here,” Doojoon gestured and tapped the space next to him. “I’m sure you’re tired from running to get here,” he laughed. “Let’s see, where do we start?” He contemplated. “Hmm, I like basketball because it’s not only a game of adventure. But it’s also a game of concentration and patience. Concentration: because in order for the ball to get in the hoop, I need to calculate how much force to give. At the same time I need to be aware of anyone that might block my shot. Patience: because not every throw goes in the hoop and in order to be perfect, practice is needed. Not just practice but PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. As they say, practice makes perfect. And also, it’s just fun!” Doojoon explained.

Minji just stared at him with a confused look for a long time. Finally she pouted, “But, Doojoon, I didn’t have anyone to play with. I was so bored.”

Doojoon stood up chuckling and grabbed Minji’s arm, “Hmmm, how about we get some ice cream then?”

The two of them walked together with so much joy and laughter.

After a while… “Are we there yet? We’ve been walking for fifteen minutes.” Minji whined.

“Min-ah, remember to be patient…” Doojoon’s voice trailed off.

~~~

Then suddenly, Minji felt a shook and Doojoon’s voice disappeared completely and was replaced by a gentle deep voice, “Hey. Heyyyyy. Wake up,” which startled Minji and woke her up.

She rubbed her eyes and blinked a few times. Shortly, as she looked around she realized that she had fallen asleep during class and by now everyone had already left.

“What do you want? Get your hands off me!” Minji said irritated.

“Hmmph, temper much? Miss Minji don’t you realized that no one else is here? School is over. And me being the nice guy I am, I’m just waking you up so that you can go home and not be stuck here all night,” a guy bragged smilingly. He has brown hair with a few droplets of sweat trailing down the side of his face.

Minji glared at him and asked bluntly, “Who are you?”

Then, the smile on his face changed into a confused and shocked look. “What? You don’t know who I am?”   

Minji raised her eyebrow and continued staring at him and thought, "Who does he think he is? Does he think I’m some kind of psychic?"

Then, his confused and shocked look disappeared and his face lit up as if a realization just hit him and laughed, “Oh right… you were barely paying attention earlier. I saw Yumi had to poke you when the teacher was calling you. Well, Yong Junhyung is the name,” he said coolly extending his hand.

Minji just stared at his hands and thought, "Huh? How does he know Yumi?" not wanting to say any word she took her bag and left the room and him.

As Minji was walking in the hallway he heard the guy shout cheerfully which made her heart leap, “Nice to meet you, Min-ah!”  

“What did he just call me? This is why I can’t forget you…” Minji mumbled while wiping aggressively the uncontrollable tears that were streaming down her face continuously. "Basketball… the dream… and the name you call me… I can’t escape them," she cried.

Concentration, Min-ah.

Thoughts about basketball, her dream and him were swimming in Minji's mind as she walked on the streets not noticing her surroundings.

“Hey,” a guy yelled out.

Minji thought that it was the guy's voice from earlier, not remembering his name and not caring, she decided to ignore him and continued walking while wiping the tears…

BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPPPP

“HEY!,” he suddenly grabbed Minji's arms and pulled her back. “I’ve been calling you so many times but you just continued on walking aimlessly like a lost puppy and you don’t even look where you’re going. You almost got hit by a car, for god's sake! What is wrong with…?" the guy rambled on without taking a breath however as he turned to look at Minji he stopped.  “Wait, are you--- are you crying?!” he asked with his eyes wide with shock.

“No. I. Am. Not,” Minji said angrily as she pushed him off to let go from his grasp. “And, leave me alone,” she glared at him and turned around to run off.

"But, hey wait. Min-ah…” he called out

Minji kept on walking away while thinking, "Why does this guy keep popping out of nowhere? That was scary though. I shouldn’t have been mean to him but I didn’t know what to do. And that was embarrassing… He even saw me crying. Ugh… this day needs to be over."