C H A P T E R 6;

“How many fingers am I holding out?”

I stared hard at the image before me, trying to decipher the best of what my eyes shown me. “Three?”

“Good.” Came my mother’s satisfied voice. “How about this?”

“Six.”

I heard her breathed out in relief. “That’s great, dear! Your sight is improving!” She hugged me and pulled me away. “I’m really sorry about moving you to your unnie’s house. It’s just that both your father and I will be away in America for work and leaving you alone at home worries me…”

“That’s okay, mother.” I smiled. “I understand that, anyway Unnie’s house is smaller and it will be easier for me to move around. I still can’t see very well at the moment.”

My eyes trailed to the direction where sunlight poured in through the window. I could make out areas where the light hit, but the clarity of my vision remained weak. It was as if someone had removed the glasses of a person short sighted. Visually handicapped, there was nothing much to do other than sitting around in my Unnie’s house and looking forward to the visit of Min….

That thought struck a reminder to me.

“Unnie,” I turned to her who was busy settling my items in the closet. “have you seen Min before?”

“Min?” She replied, confused. “I never saw him before. Why?”

“You didn’t?” I frowned; fresh doubts were rising from within. “But he has been visiting me occasionally. I figured he was someone from your workplace.”

“But there’s no one named Min in the studio. You’re sure that’s his name?”

**********

“Excuse me.” He puffed out the words though his mouth mask, “may I know where the girl from Room 405 went to?”

The nurse arched an eyebrow at his covered-up look. “She’s discharged. You’re her…?”

“Thanks.” He cuts her off before she could finish the question he didn’t have an exact answer for. He definitely wasn’t her family member. She had called him her friend. But does that really make him one? She probably doesn’t even know how he looks like, even though he was sure that his face would be recognizable to her.

His heart was in turmoil; half of it was glad that she was well enough to be discharged from the hospital, but the other half was left anxious and disappointed. Will he see her again? Will she really be fine?

He couldn’t find an answer to his strange feeling, as if there was this urge to see her right in front of him, healthy and well, in order for this anxiety to dissipate.

He paused in his steps. Why was he fretting over her again? She’s gone, she’s fine, and she’s probably happily resting in her bed right now. His task was done. He should stop feeling guilty and start focusing on his work again.

As if his hand phone heard his silent words, it rang, sending several annoyed looks to his direction. One nurse even pointed to the ‘No cellphones’ sign on the wall.

Giving a slight bow to the crowd in the hallway, he hastily made his way out and answered the phone.

“Taemin ah! Where have you been? We are going to start filming soon!” Kibum’s voice shrilled from the other end of the line.

**********

I was back to that same dream I have been dreaming once again. Running through the shadowy forest, panting as I tried my best to keep up with my savior.

Leave me be.

I wanted to pant out the words. But I knew it would be a futile effort.

He would never leave me.

Faster…faster…I told myself.

Because I knew where this dream would lead to…

Faster…I willed my legs.

Don’t let him get shot.

But like frames in a film, I watched as a long thin wooden arrow slipped past me.

And in motion, frame by frame, I watched in horror as the pointed metal tip pushed its deadly blade into his back.

***

I snapped my eyes open to the sound of a ringing phone. Reaching for it groggily, I was greeted by the frantic voice of my Unnie.

“Seo-Yun! Thank god you picked up!”

“What is it, Unnie? You haven’t been home since last night and now…” I scratched my messy hair and took a glance at the clock. “It’s seven in the morning.”

“I’m so sorry!” Her tone was apologetic. “I need you to do me a favor. I left my design layout plans on the desk. I need it now! Can you be a sweet-heart and passed it to me at the studio?”

“I’m not your sweet-heart.” I replied coolly, hearing her gasp before continuing. “I’m your sweet niece. And you will owe this just-recovered patient a cup of Americano.”

Sunlight was streaming in from above, coloring brightness to the gray streets and green trees outside. As I took in the sights during my journey to the studio, enjoying the clarity of the images, Min’s words started floating in my mind.

It’s punishment! You’re not to think this way! You will be fine and see again! I’ll be here to make sure you get well soon!

I chuckled slightly as I recalled the memory but a subdued form of sadness rose in my heart and I sighed.

Days passed and I’ve regained my sight. But the mysterious stranger who had said these encouraging words to me wasn’t by my side to see that now. I sighed again as the cab slowed to a stop. Brushing the gloomy thoughts away from my mind, I adjusted my cap and entered the studio warehouse.

The warehouse was busy as usual. Workers were scrambling around, holding tools and props to set up the stage for the music video. There were sounds of hammers, drillings, shouting’s, chattering all mixed up to form hearty noises in the area.

Waving off fresh saw dusts in the air, I made my way to the office, passing by a group of young men who were chatting and laughing loudly.

“Yah Jonghyun! I’ve won fair and square, so you should be the one treating us coffee!”

“But Kibum~~you know I’ll be swarmed by those fan girls if I make my way to the café now!”

“A dare’s a dare Jonghyun.” Kibum poked fun at him. “And you’re the one who suggested the game in the first place!”

To say the truth, I had no intentions of interrupting the group at all, not even to make a slightest interaction with them though I admit there’s humor in their conversations.

But it was a certain voice that made my head snapped back.

“Hyung! You always said that a real man should always keep his promises!”

My eyes widened in surprise at the familiarity and before I consciously knew what I was doing; my hands had already reached out and grabbed the slender arm of the youngest looking man in the group.

My eyebrows furrowed as I stared at him in disbelief.

My lips uttered out a hesitant word. “Min…?”

Ours eyes met and I found myself lost in the gaze of those chocolate orbs. The pair of brown eyes stared right back at me and a familiar heat was rising from my chest again, or more specifically, that birthmark of mine. I bit my lips as the dulling pain got bigger and bigger. I held my breath as the pain continues, like a dagger, twisting and turning as it plunges deeper and deeper into my chest, inch by inch.

“Y-you…can see?” He asked and his voice rang in my ears again, reconfirming the doubts in my giddy mind.

Don’t forget…

Don’t forgive…

Same words of warning were replaying in my head again....

 “Seo-Yun! There you are!” Unnie’s voice cuts my thoughts and I was pulled back to reality by a tug on my right arm. Our gazes broke off and the pain subsides as soon as it appeared. I quickly took in a gulp of air before slapping the thick large brown envelope to her.

“Here’s your delivery!” I grinned, hoping against all hope that no one caught the painful expression I was trying to subdue just moments ago.

“Thank you soo much!” She pulled me into a tight hug. “So it’s an Americano for you right?”

I peeled away from the hug and turned to see the group of guys making their way to the stage set. “Another day perhaps…”

“You know them already?” Unnie followed my line of vision. “You were talking to them just now right?”

“Just Min…” I answered her back.

As I watched him, busied in his dance; my hand unconsciously rose and clutch the area where my birthmark lies. I didn’t know K-pop well, but I knew enough to know the name of my mysterious friend.

“Lee Taemin.”

**********

A faint call of his name took his attention and he turned his head to look at the direction. But she had already turned around and made her way to the exit.

He looked on helplessly at the retreating figure, half of his spirit now wanti ng to drop everything in an instant and run to grab her, to turn her around and looked straight into her eyes, to decipher the silent thoughts in her mind, to know her feelings towards about him, be it confusion, hatred or disgust.

When she had looked at him for a mere few seconds, there were so many emotions mixed within those raven orbs that rendered him speechless.  To say he was dying to know what she was thinking would be an understatement.

But his current situation could not afford his rash actions at the moment.

“Taemin ah!” Jinki’s voice cuts through his thoughts. “Focus!”

He tensed upon the words of his leader and gave a slight nod in return.

But his mind could not shake off those haunting desires to want to know her. His eyes trailed across the studio and he found himself gazing one person that may unshackle these uncertainties in his heart.

“Hyung!” He tugged the sleeves of Jinki’s shirt. “Who’s that person over there?”

“You mean Eun-ah noona? She’s our art director for this project. Why are you asking about her all of a sudden?”

He let go of his hyung’s sleeve and grinned at the older man’s puzzled look. “It’s nothing.”

Jinki raised an eye at the maknae's not-so-innocent grin. Seven years of being his hyung told him it's certainly not "nothing". He watched with an amused expression as Taemin started strolling to Eun-ah noona's direction before grabbing his drink and took a long sip.

That kid definitely has something up his sleeves.

#Author's Note =D

School has started and it was madness. I could neither write nor update my story. So sorry about that. Luckily, this chapter turned out longer than expected. Hopefully I will have enough time on my hands to update tomorrow. Fingers crossing~~ (^_^)