“You’ll come to the reunion tonight, right?” asked Seunghyun from the other end.

“Yep,” Jiyong said, aiming at the Bongeunsa Temple with his camera. The airpods in his ear that is connected to the phone in his jacket pocket makes him able to keep taking photos while talking to Seunghyun.

“Do you want me to pick you up?”

“No worries. I already know the place and I have borrowed my uncle’s car.”

“You’re still borrowing your uncle’s car?” Seunghyun’s tone was doubtful.

“So what?”

“After what happened to you at that time?”

Jiyong chuckles. “I don’t remember anything about that, so I don’t feel scared at all or the like.”

Seunghyun just murmurs and says, “I heard your mother has returned to America?”

“Yeah, yesterday afternoon. My sister-in-law has given birth. My mom was so happy that she immediately booked the first flight to New York, leaving her son who had just left the hospital.”

“But you feel good, right? Are you still taking your medicine?”

“Gosh, you sound like my mom. I thought I could feel relieved because my mom’s back to New York already and let me calm down a little,” joked Jiyong laughing. He changes the angle of his camera and continues, “I’m very alive and kicking. You don’t need to worry.”

“Alright,” Seunghyun said with a sigh. “See you tonight.”

After removing the airpods and putting it in his pocket, Jiyong once again looks for a good object to take pictures of. After this, maybe he can go to another place. Bald trees can also be good objects if they are shot correctly.

Since he was discharged from hospital five days ago, Jiyong lives in his apartment in Galleria Foret, spending his time traveling around Seoul and photographing whatever interests him. He is sure he had done it all for the past month since he arrived in Seoul, but because he remembers nothing, he decided to do it once more. Who knows that it can help him to restore his memory little by little. But so far he hasn’t remembered anything. Everything still feels strange and new to him.

It’s okay not to remember. That’s what he always said to himself. Initially it worked. He didn’t really care about the one month’s time lost from his memory. He’s sure there’s no important thing to remember and the doctor said his memory would slowly return. So he didn’t intend to force himself and make his headache worse.

But lately he began to feel something was missing. He doesn’t know what. It’s just that every time he wakes up, eats, or goes around Seoul, he always feels something is missing. He tried hard to ignore it, but to no avail. Finally he thought that it might be a kind of side effect suffered by his poor brain. That’s the only possible explanation.

***

Jiyong is about to leave his apartment when his phone rings. He looks at the phone’s screen and doesn’t recognize the number that appeared there.

“Hello?” He muttered flatly when the phone was pressed to his ear.

“Jiyong?”

Jiyong’s entire attention is immediately focused on the female voice heard on his phone. “Yoona?” He muttered doubtfully.

The woman at the other end laughs. “I’m glad you still remember me,” she said in fluent English. “How are you?”

It takes a moment for him to find his voice again. Jiyong clears his throat to control himself and answers in English too, “I’m fine. Where are you now?”

“In Seoul.”

“What?”

Yoona laughs again. “In Seoul,” she repeated. “I just arrived. I was assigned by my company to attend a month-long training here.”

“Are you still at the airport?”

“No. I’ve been in the company’s apartment,” Yoona said. “Anyway, are you busy now?”

“Oh, I’m going to attend my school reunion. Why?”

“Ah, no. I just want to take you to dinner together. But if you have another plan, it’s okay. How about next time?”

Jiyong pauses, then asks, “Do you want to accompany me there? It’s possible that the event will be boring, so it’s best if I have someone I can talk to.”

“Alright, if you don’t mind.”

About an hour later Jiyong arrives at the apartment building where Yoona is staying. The woman is waiting for him at the lobby of the building. Upon seeing Jiyong, Yoona immediately smiles brightly and waves. Jiyong lets out a long sigh before waving back and approaching her.

Yoona still looks the same as the last time Jiyong saw her in New York. Still beautiful with shoulder length hair and graceful style as usual. Seeing Yoona again makes Jiyong’s heart ache, proving that he hasn’t completely forgotten her at all. However, even if Jiyong had tried to forget her and even if he had managed to forget her although it’s only a little, it became totally meaningless because of the damn amnesia he suffered. Now he’s back to square one.

“I heard you got an accident,” Yoona said when they are already in the car.

“Who told you?” Jiyong asked while still watching the road in front of him.

“Your father,” Yoona said with a smile. “I visited your father before I came here.”

Yoona and Jiyong have been close friends since Jiyong moved to New York. Yoona’s parents’ house is right next to Jiyong’s parents’ house. Yoona’s parents are both Koreans, but they have lived and become American citizens for a long time. They went to the same high school but later they went to different university. Even so, they still kept in touch. Jiyong always liked Yoona since his teenage days and thought Yoona felt the same way. Apparently he was wrong. Yoona chose Jiyong’s friend over him and in June they will get married.

“It’s not severe,” murmured Jiyong.

Yoona raises her eyebrows. “Not severe?” She asked doubtfully. “Your father said you had a concussion until you lost some of your memories.”

Jiyong shrugs casually, trying to ease the situation. “Only since I arrived in Seoul until the accident happened. Only one month. Not really important.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah,” Jiyong said firmly, but his heart said otherwise.

“I’m glad you don’t forget me,” Yoona said.

Jiyong glances at her and smiles. “By the way, how is Donghae?” Jiyong asked, trying to change the subject. “Busy taking care of your wedding plan?”

Yoona sighs and looks out the window.

Feeling surprised by Yoona’s reaction, Jiyong looks back for a moment. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

For a moment there’s no answer, then Yoona exhales and turns to look at Jiyong. “Can I be honest with you?”

“You really know the answer.”

“Yeah, I know,” Yoona muttered with a thin smile. “I know you’re a dependable friend.”

“So,” Jiyong said flatly. “What’s wrong?”

“Donghae and I...” Yoona shrugs. “Well, the wedding is cancelled.”

***

Jiyong arrives at the reunion before Seunghyun. The bright reception hall is full of people and the music from the five-member band softened all over the room. At first he felt a little nervous, but it turned out that there were some old friends who still recognized him and immediately asked him to join their group to chat about the past. Seunghyun is right. This event can entertain him. Jiyong feels relaxed, free to talk about the past he still remembered. Even if there are some things that have been forgotten, everyone will understand because not everyone can remember events more than ten years ago clearly.

He turns his head when Yoona pulls the sleeve of his jacket and says she will go to the restroom for a while. Jiyong nods and looks at Yoona who walked away. Jiyong didn’t know what to think when Yoona said that she and Donghae might not be married.

“Why so suddenly?” Jiyong asked at that time.

Yoona smiled grimly. “I think I’m late to realize that we are not meant for each other.” Then she shakes her head quickly. “No, no. I’m not late. It’s better that I realize it now than after we get married later, isn’t it?”

Jiyong is silent, doesn’t know what to say. He also doesn’t know what to think or feel.

Yoona turns and smiles at Jiyong. “Even so, I’m very sad right now,” she admitted. “So I came here so you can cheer me up.