~12 YEARS LATER~

“Eomma! I’m going to meet Eunwoo! I’ll be back for dinner!” shouted Minjae 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 Minjae had grown into a fine young man. He had been adopted when he was twelve and had finally left the orphanage. Minjae had done very well in his studies and managed to enter university quite easily. Minjae and his best friend in high school, Eunwoo, had both secured a scholarship that allowed them to read applied music in university. Minjae walked quickly down the street, worried that he was going to be late in meeting Eunwoo. 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 Minjae 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 Minjae, as he handed the walking stick to the man.

“Ah, gomawo,” replied the man.

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

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

“Jinjja?” 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 Minjae.

“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 Minjae.

“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 Minjae.

“Ah, jinjja 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 Minjae, as they set off together towards Eunwoo’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 Minjae 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 Eunwoo’s house. Minjae 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 Minjae.

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

Eunwoo returned with the first aid kit a few moments later and Minjae 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 Minjae, as he sanitised the man’s wound.

“Oh, that’s because I underwent an operation on my brain due to a life-threatening condition a few years ago,” explained the man, as he lifted his hair on the right side of his head and showed a snake-like scar that started from near his sideburn and stretched all the way down the middle of his head to near the back of his head. “My life was saved but due to the severity of my condition, I lost most of my 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 to hear that, ahjussi,” replied Minjae, 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. Eunwoo and I are both studying applied music in university. Both of us want to be music producers and songwriters in future,” said Minjae.

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

“Kwenchana, ahjussi?” asked Minjae.

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

“All right, sir,” said Minjae.

Minjae 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 few straight, parallel white scars against the man’s beige skin. Minjae 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 Minjae.

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

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

Have I seen him before?

“Minjae-ah, are you okay?” asked Eunwoo, as he shook Minjae 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 Minjae 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 Eunwoo.

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

…

The next day, Minjae 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 Minjae for many years and nursed a soft spot for him. She would frequently give Minjae a complementary pastry and free top ups for his coffee, as he sat and worked on his music. As Minjae stepped into the café, he was surprised to see the man he bumped into yesterday sitting alone near his favourite corner. Minjae walked up to the man and sat opposite him.

“Annehasaeyo, ahjussi,” said Minjae.

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

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

“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. Eunwoo knows not to disturb me when I’m here,” said Minjae with a laugh. “Are you here for your afternoon coffee