The sunrays which made its way through the floor to ceiling glass window slapped Sohyun’s face with its 32-degree centigrade but Seungho’s words fell harder on her. With her eyes quivering, she asked, “Why did you meet him?”

Swallowing the lump in his throat, he pursed up his lips. He opened his mouth for a loud sigh and said, “He invited me…”

“Invited you?”, she asked puzzled, but nervousness piqued in her eyes.

“Not just me…”, he continued, “He invited several data analyst like me… Looks like someone filed a suit that their personal data has been solicitated by analyst like us in the name of research and has been used with profit driven motive…”

“Why were YOU invited?”, Sohyun asked interrupting him.

He shook his head in denial, “There were fifteen members representing their companies including me… We were just asked to hand over a report about our projects as evidences that we didn’t solicit any data like they mentioned”, he explained with ease.

“Are you sure you’ll be alright?”, her eyebrows knitted in worry.

“Sohyun-ah… It wasn’t targeted towards me… These suits are one of the risks attached with a start-up like ours… Coz, we take up the data given by people willingly but unaware.”

“How can they be willing, if they are unaware of it?”

“Mmm… How do I explain it?”, he stopped for a thought and continued with a serious tone, “Your online presence is like living in a glass house, and… passwords are like the plugs blocking the key hole. There is no need to peep through the hole where every onlooker can see you. So, willingly they give out their information but, unaware that they are being used. It holds good for the companies or institutions you work at, where your everyday and every activity is being monitored…”.

She lent her ears with utmost sincerity but still the fog in her mind didn’t clear out yet. “Did dad say anything else?”, her anticipation went down the drain when he shrugged his shoulders saying, “I met a lawyer, so professional!”

After taking a moment to get over her dejection, she asked, “So… What ails you from contacting me? For two whole days?”. Her calm tone was more perspicuous in delivering the weight of the questions than the cry.

Having his hands in the air as his shield while gesturing her to loosen up, he explained, “Well… First of all, my phone failed me, it broke. Second of all, due to heavy rain in the mountain where I stayed to meet the client, the road got completely blocked by the landslide and I missed the train. By the time I arrived in Seoul that is today, it was already the time for the meeting with your dad! I didn’t want your dad to stigmatize me for the tardiness too”. Like a transparent glass, it was clear that she wasn’t convinced, but he couldn’t say any more than that. Though it was true that his phone broke, he couldn’t bring himself to say, he met her dad the day before. Because, if he said that he also has to mention that upon his arrival, a broken smile visited Mr. Kim’s face. Mr. Kim’s brows which was faintly knitted, his sharp eyes which scanned Seungho from head to toe, turned cold on meeting his eyes and his voice which grunted whenever it was directed to Seungho made him realize that it wasn’t Mr. Kim’s ‘hatred’ but ‘resentment’. It was the result of his trust being shattered which tore him from inside out. After the meeting ended, he stayed back to meet him in person. He anxiously waited in the lobby siting on the edge of the couch and having his eyes set on the elevator. As the clock ticked for two hours, may be the scar is deep, he thought. But, he is determined to see Mr. Kim and continued waiting. After several hours of waiting, Seungho witnessed the setting Sun. In a while, Mr. Kim’s assistant came out of the elevator in panic. He sighed upon seeing Seungho and made his quick treads towards him. Sensing some trouble at his approach, Seungho stood up from his seat. “How long do you wish to stay here?”, Mr. Kim’s assistant asked in shades of despair and beseeched. “Until he shows up”, Seungho said. “So… you’re determined and so is he… in not meeting with you!”, as disappointment struck Seungho, the assistant continued, “How long can you starve with your healthy body?”. His question puzzled Seungho making him knit his brows. “Mr. Kim’s record was ten hours… and it happened today. For your information, he is not healthy, and he can’t skip a meal! Now, tell me how long you will wait?” Seungho understood what he meant. An image of Sohyun’s worry struck face when she heard about her father’s health crossed his mind. He gave up and walked out with downcast eyes. I shouldn’t have been obstinate! My stubbornness prioritized me instead of Sohyun’s dad. His wound is still too fresh to even form a scar and here I’m expecting the scars might’ve healed. An incomprehensible guilt pricked him questioning the right to face Sohyun with her father still wounded by him. He roamed around mindlessly for a day punishing himself by not seeking her for solace. As the heaps of unorganized thoughts filled him, he blamed himself for the crack between them. But, on seeing her now, so worried with her tears threatening to fall, he knew he punished her along with him and now he realized, it will always end up becoming ‘We’ rather than ‘I’, be it a happy event or sad incident. Never exposing his mind, he looked at her after giving out lame excuses.

His reply made her sour. His two sentences did not wash away the pain she felt for the past two days. ‘You could’ve called!’, was the only thing that went in her mind. She knew that he ain’t gonna say anything more than that because he decided not to say. His habit of pursing up his lips whenever he supressed his emotions or words, told him on. She didn’t expect something drastic to happen to him for her to forgive him. But, she didn’t want him to take her for granted.

Trying to change the topic, he asked, “What do you want to have? Pasta? Pizza? Antipasti?”

Annoyed by his nonchalant reply, she got up from her seat and walked away. A moment of bewilderment hit him as he watched her walk away in agape. Gathering his senses, he followed her.

When he followed her to the entrance, a waiter came up to him with the menu. “We’ll be back tomorrow!”, he uttered in a hurry, gave him a tip and ran to catch up with her. She made her way towards the subway nearby. Her every quick step was angry and her every heavy step was annoyed with him.

He trailed behind her calling out to her. When she halted her steps in the staion platform, he pleaded, “Sohyun-ah…”

She just stood waiting for the train and didn’t turn or even spare a look at him.

“Look at me…”, he sang.

“Tell me… I can hear you even if I don’t look at you!”

He pulled her by grabbing her arm to face him and in a low voice he said, “The whole of Korea will know we’re fighting, if you grouch at me like that!”

She looked at him with the eyes full of anger. Releasing herself from his hold, she took her phone from the hand bag, “Stand close!”, she said while trying to take a selfie. He took a step closer posing for it with a smile. She remarked, “Don’t grin… Look angry!”. He followed her instruction and posed with a grimaced expression on his face while she had a straight face. After taking a snapshot, she told him, “I’m uploading it! Now, the whole world will know we’re fighting!”

“Sohyun-ah…”, he was interrupted by her diverted attention to the approaching train.

As the train took its halt, she said, “For 48 hours, leave me alone. Don’t try to reach me or look for me!”. Without a second look, she boarded the train.

He stood on the platform watching her take a seat and walked away. On watching him leaving, Sohyun gave her attention to her phone. But, after taking a few steps, he turned around to check if she is still looking at him. With her eyes away from him, he boarded on the next compartment to follow her.

As the train left the station, Seungho slowly walked up to her compartment and sat straight across her.  Since the train was scarcely populated, she noticed a person walking into her compartment and taking his seat in front of her. Under the pretext of using her phone, she observed a familiar pair of shoes. Even without looking up, she knew it was Seungho. But, she feigned ignorance of his presence.

He didn’t take his eyes off her and continued to stare at her blatantly. She tried her best to avoid him and got herself busy in scrolling through her screen again and again. Never failing to grasp her nuances, he smiled at her act.

At the next stop, a swarm of people boarded the train. In order not to lose his sight of her, he got up and took the seat beside her before the crowd gathered inside. As he nudged his shoulder against hers to get her attention, she scooted over to the corner of the row. Following her, he scooted in and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. When she shoved his hands away with displeased look, “Excuse me!”, a bold voice grabbed their attention. A lady with unafraid look and slanted eyes directed her words to Seungho, “I’ve been observing you for the past five minutes, your flagrant stares at her and advances…”

“No, I’m actually…”, Seungho wanted to explain the situation, but was interrupted by the lady’s words, “I don’t need your stories!”, she told him bluntly and pointed towards the sign above the seat which read ‘Reserved for expectant mothers’.

In his pursuit of Sohyun, he failed to notice the reserved seats. He immediately stood up from his seat. While standing aside to pave way for the lady to sit, with a sheepish smile he said, “Congratulations!!”

Ignoring him, the lady took her seat murmuring, “Why can’t they leave a young girl alone? I don’t know where this world is heading to!”. She then turned towards Sohyun asking, “He even grabbed your shoulders, isn’t he?”. Sohyun nodded repeatedly at once. The lady fussed, “We shouldn’t let these kinda of guys roam freely!” and gave a laser stare at Seungho who is now throwing an innocent smile at her. She continued, “What’s the use of having good looks?”. As a laugh escaped her lips, Sohyun turned her head to face away hiding her smirk. Before getting down, the lady gave a smile at Sohyun and a cold stare at Seungho as her goodbye.

Sohyun got down at the next stop and rushed outside the subway station to avoid him. Moving through the crowds, he finally caught her in his view. It was a heavy downpour. The rain droplets which fell hard on the paved surface splashed; gathering the fellow drops to form a rivulet, it made its course to the sewer lines believing it would guide them to the sea. Stepping on one such rivulet, Sohyun walked off under the umbrella while Seungho stayed back for the rain to stop. Treading on the platform, Sohyun reached the end of the long straight road where the road takes a left and right turn. If she takes a turn, she’ll be away from his sight.

Seungho fidgeted while restlessly waiting for the rain to stop, but she took a right turn and disappeared from his sight. Knowing the rain won’t stop anytime soon, he ventured into the city shower. He ran fast to close the distance.

Sohyun’s pace slowed down after taking the turn. But, when she clearly heard the heavy foot steps of someone running behind her, she instantly turned back to find Seungho panting with his hand on his knees and dripping wet in the rain. He looked at her who was clearly taken aback.

You won! Giving up, she invited him under her umbrella with a loving smile. With an endless smile, he walked up to her and held the umbrella for her. She grabbed his shirt and pulled him under the umbrella saying, “You take care of all the household chores for the next two weeks!”. With an ultimatum and a peck on his cheek, she turned around and started walking as if nothing happened like Seungho does many times. And when he wrapped his arms around her shoulder for her warmth, she resisted saying, “It’s cold… your wet clothes…”. He cut in saying, “Yeah, I’m freezing with the wet clothes…” and pouted. She sighed and yielded to him.

On their way back home, Sohyun saw a familiar silhouette, sitting in the corner of the street drenched in the pouring rain. She nudged Seungho saying, “Isn’t that…”. “Mrs. Kang!”, he completed her sentence and ran towards Mrs. Kang. Sohyun followed behind with the umbrella.

Having Mrs. Kang under the umbrella, Sohyun and Seungho crouched beside Mrs. Kang. She looked at them puzzled. Seungho threw series of questions, “What happened? Why are you sitting in the rain? Not gone home?” to which Mrs. Kang’s eyes wavered in thought. “What happened?”, Sohyun asked calmly. “I can’t… remember the way!”, Mrs. Kang said stammering in cold. “The way home?”, Seungho asked confused. “I can’t remember the route…”, Mrs. Kang repeated. “To our home?”, Seungho asked again to which she nodded. Seungho looked at Sohyun bewildered by her reply. “Come, let’s go home!”, Sohyun comforted. They took a taxi and brought her home. After changing into dry clothes, everyone including Mr. Kang headed to the hospital where Sohyun work.

Worried sick about his wife but, putting on a calm upfront, Mr. Kang entered the hospital. Seungho and Sohyun took care of the formalities and got an immediate appointment.

Changing into hospital clothes, Mrs. Kang entered the CT scan lab. She took a look at Mr. Kang who was on the other side of the glass window watching her, before she lied down on the table for the CT scan. As the tears welled in his eyes, he looked away at the monitor. He looked up at her again as she lied on the table with the headphones and fear.

After the procedures and consultation, they returned home. As Mr. Kang pulled the wheelchair for his wife, Sohyun brought the scans and medications and Seungho who drove them opened the door and cleared the way for the wheelchair.

Mr. Kang wheeled Mrs. Kang to the bedroom while Seungho and Sohyun waited outside the room.

“What did the doctor say?”, Mrs. Kang asked.

As Mr. Kang locked the wheelchair, he said, “Doctor asked you to listen to your husband and take meds on time… and you’ll be just fine”. Mr. Kang never once told his wife that she’s been undergoing the symptoms of Alzheimer’s.  

Sohyun and Seungho stood unable to do anything.

While Mr. Kang lifted her up from the wheelchair wrapping her arms around his neck, she said in a weak and pleading tone, “Don’t lie to me!”. Hearing them, Seungho dragged Sohyun close to him and wrapped her in his arms. As Mr. Kang placed Mrs. Kang on bed, she grabbed his hand and said, “There’s a constant voice screaming in my head. I forget what I start to say. I can’t remember places or people. All my music is drifting out the window. How can you say I’ll be fine?”

“He asked you to stay strong”, Mr. Kang responded.

“Don’t treat me like an idiot. I’m losing my memory… not my mind”, Mrs. Kang’s desperate words struck him. He gently her hair and said softly, “Alzheimer’s… Second stage”

At the confession of Mr. Kang, Sohyun and Seungho leaning against each other, held in their breath for Mrs. Kang’s reaction.

Mrs. Kang pulled Mr. Kang closer and asked with quivering voice, “Will I end up forgetting you one day?”

As tears trickled down in Sohyun’s cheeks, she buried her face in Seungho’s chest.

Author’s note:

Jaeha will be back in the next chapter ;)