Doo Joon

"Good afternoon Ahjussi,is Jangmi in?"I bowed politely.

"Are you Doo Joon?"Her father asked in a raspy voice.

How does he know my name? "Yes,yes I am."

"Come in,come in.She's out for a while but she'll come home soon."He gestured me into the house.

I sat on the sofa and glanced around.This place looks...familiar.Oh well,Jangmi said that we used to spend time together here.I did not have trouble finding this place.It was like my legs brought me to this place.Hmmm,I must have come here often...

"You are her...?"Ahjussi's voice halted my train of thoughts.

"Friend.Classmate."I smiled .

Ahjumma came out of the kitchen with a tray of tea and sat with us.

"Friend."He repeated the word and sipped the hot tea.

Ahjumma nudged him and gave him a look then laughed."I heard about your accident from Jangmi.Are you all right now?"

"How can he be all right?"Mr Gok placed his cup on the table. "He still thinks that our daughter is his friend!"

"Yeobo!"Ahjumma shouted at him.

I knitted my eyebrows.What do they mean?Am I not her friend?

"I-I'm sorry.I'm wrong in saying that Jangmi's my friend?"My head felt fuzzy.

"No,no.Nothing of that sort.You're... friends."She nodded vehemently.

I nodded my head uneasily and glanced to Ahjusshi.

"Why are you keeping it from him?! I don't want to see our daughter suffering like that anymore!"Mr Gok stood up and pointed to me.

I stared at them in shock.Wh-what is happening?What are they keeping from me?Jangmi's been suffering?From what?

"It's because he has yet to recever fully from his memory! Let's just take things slowly okay?Let Jangmi tell him herself.Please,yeobo-ah."Ahjumma held on to his arm.Mr Gok loosened her grip and stormed to his room,leaving the oppressed atmosphere in the living room.

My mouth hung open.A million different thoughts swam in my mind but  no words came out from my mouth.

"Ahjum-" I was about to ask her what they meant just now when Jangmi came home.

"Umma,I'm hom-Doo Joon?"She froze at the doorway.

"I...Your ..You left..."My thinking was not straight.The earlier event kept replaying in my mind.

"I left?Why are you here?"She looked at me with a confused expression.

I took a deep breath."Yesterday,when you left in a hurry,you accidentally took my Geography textbook and notes.I can't study for the test tomorrow if it's with you."

"Oh.It's with me?Let me check."She skipped lightly to her room.

I followed her ,leaving Ahjumma standing alone in the living room.

Her room was fairly large.The bedroom walls were festooned with photo frames and Big Bang and 2NE1 posters.She likes them?I love them too.A smile crept on my face.I looked around her room while she searched for it on her table and bag.

"Are you sure it's with me?"She continued ransacking her bag.

"Yeah."I went closer to the walls to see the photographs.Oh,little Jangmi...what a cutie.I smiled to myself.There were also pictures of her family.In one of the photos,Jun Hyung,Mirae,Yoseob,Kikwang,Jangmi and I were making silly faces together.I chuckled inwardly.

"Eh,it's not here either..."She paused to track where she last put it.. "Oh,maybe it's in the living room.I'll be back in a jiffy!"Jangmi rubbed her nape and headed outside.

I continued looking at the photographs.Eh,there's one phograph of both of us.Oooh,I looked cool then.I grinned to myself.Beside that picture,there was a photo of both of us again at an amusement park.Both of us had similar animal headband on.Oh,we were this close?My smile got wider a few pictures later.One black and white photo caught my eye instantly that made my smile disappear.

"I found it! "Jangmi came into the room.I quickly turned and forced a smile."Sorry ,I kept you from studying for your test."She pouted cutely.

"Nah,it's okay.I still have plenty of time to revise.I'll ...go first."I pointed to the door and left the house with a throbbing head.

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I tossed and turned,unable to sleep.Were my eyes playing a trick on me?That photo kept flashing in my mind.Earlier,what Ahjumma and Ahjusshi said were enough to drive me crazy.I tried to fathom what they said about Jangmi's sufferings and also the secret that they're keeping from me.Is it important?I tried to dismiss that thought but my imagination gets wilder everytime I thought of the secret.

Doo Joon

I zipped up my bag after Mrs Bae left the classroom.

"Can you teach me Organic Chemistry.I don't understand a thing.Please?"I rested my back on the chair and asked Jangmi who was packing her books into her bag.

"Y-You want me to teach you?" Her face brightened up .

"Yes,at your place.I'll treat you to something nice after that."I placed my arm on the table and rested my head.When she didn't answer,I spoke up."Silence means consent.Let's go!"

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I shifted my glance from the Chemistry textbook and pinned a stare to her.She was still explaining on Organic Chemistry but I just wanted to find out more about us.

"So the difference between alkene and alkane is just the..Are you listening?"She stopped talking suddenly.

I cleared my throat and sat up straight."Y-yeah."

"What was I just  talking about?"She relaxed back on the chair.

"Well...You were saying about the... properties...of alkene."I managed to spew the words out albeit I was sure that was not what she mentioned.Damn.

"Yoon Doo Joon!"she pouted and crossed her arm."You told me to teach you but  you're not listening to me."

"Sorry,Okay I'm listening,carry on."

She spent the whole afternoon covering the topic.

"Now do these practice questions while I get some snacks for us."

When she left the room,I heaved a sigh of relief.At last,a break.I looked at the picture frames again.Eh,these weren't the same photographs I saw that day... I stood up closer to the photo frames.There were no more photographs of our clique.All of them were either selcas,family photographs or her picture with Jun Hyung.A crease found it's way on my forehead.But...

Jangmi came into the room with a plate of cookies in one hand and 2 mugs in the other."You done with the questions?"

.

"Yah,you didn't even attempt!"She put the cookies and mugs on the table and frowned.

"Can we take a break?I'm tired."

She sighed and took a cookie."I'll be nice to you.Rest for awhile and then continue."

"Yes mommy!" I smiled and she chuckled.

I can't help but to notice that her eyes do not crinkle when she smiles or laughs.There was a distant feeling like she was concealing sadness.My eyes then caught  a shiny pendant hanging on her necklace.

"Your necklace...very pretty.The pendant's beautiful.It looks expensive."

She didn't reply but kept the pendant.

"It's not a pendant."She looked at me and bit her lower lip.

"Oh?"I took the pendant from her."Oh,it's a locket."I tried to open the locket but she swatted my hand away.

I looked at her in shock.She seemed flabbergasted.

"I'm sorry,I...I'll take more cookies."She stood up and hurriedly went to the kitchen.

Did I say something wrong?I rubbed my nape and shrugged.I  looked at the practice questions infront of me and sighed.

When she completed checking my answers,it was already night time.The door was knocked and Mrs Gok peeped in.We did not even notice her coming back home.

"Dinner time,let's eat.I've prepared a lot of food.Doo Joon,eat before you leave."She chirped happily.

"It's okay,I need to go home,it's pretty late..."I rejected politely.

"But I've prepared food for you,young man.Do eat before you leave."She looked dejected.

Jangmi nodded at me."Yeah,have dinner before you go."

I nodded slowly and grinned."All right."

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Mr Gok was already sitting at the end of the dining table.I gulped in fear as I remembered the scene of that afternoon.He must hate me but I do not know why...

"Ahjussi."I bowed politely.He just nodded and picked up the chopsticks.I sat beside Jangmi while Mrs Gok sat opposite us.

"Go on,let's eat! It's been a while since there's any visitors here!"Mrs Gok put side dishes on my bowl.I just smiled in appreciation.

Dinner went well with them exchanging how their day went.It's as if I'm part of them too when Ahjumma asked about me.

"Doo Joon."I stopped chewing as Ahjussi called out my name. " Don't you remember anything? "

"I..I remembered about my parents accident...that's all.But I do not even know what I forgot.W-Why ?Did I forget something ?"

"You really don't remember anything about Jangmi?"

"Appa..."Jangmi held her father's arm.

I placed the chopsticks on the table and took a glance at Jangmi."Wh-what do I need to know about her?Oh,is it about the suffering you said the other day?What is Jangmi suffering from?"

Jangmi stared at me in confusion."What...Appa,what did you say to him?"

"Jangmi-ah,he needs to know about this.If you don't tell him,he won't remem-"

"APPA!I told you that he needs time!Stop rushing him."Jangmi left her unfinished bowl of rice and stood up abruptly."Doo Joon,I'll walk you out."

I stood up from my seat and bowed to her parents."Thank you for dinner."

Mrs Gok smiled weakly.Ahjussi did not even face me.What is wrong with him?What are they hiding from me?

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"Sorry."Jangmi broke the silence between us."Don't take appa's words to heart."

I nodded my head while we continued to walk to the bus stop in silence.

"Jangmi...is there something that I need to know?"

Jangmi

Damn it.How do I answer him?

"We'll take things slowly,okay?Dr Fin said that these things have to be taken slowly if not you'll end up getting hurt."I reassured him.

"Yeah,but Ahjussi looked like he wanted to tell me something.It sounded important too.Are you sick?What are you suffering from?"He looked worried.

I have the symptoms of lovesickness.I miss you so much that I suffer from heartaches every single time I see you.The feeling of seeing you and spending time with you but you not having the slightest  idea of our relationship makes me feel sick to the stomach.Seeing you talk to other girls makes me feel weak.Not having you remember about our past makes me heartbroken.Knowing that you actually believe Hana's words makes me feel...helpless.

"I'm fine."I managed a feeble smile. "Your bus is here.I'll see you tomorrow."

After he boarded the bus,I dragged my feet home.I felt tears prick my eyes.My lips quivered.Soon,huge drops of tears came streaming down my face.I felt so...lost suddenly.It feels as though thousands of small needles are pricking my heart.It hurts so bad.

I felt as if...as if we are so close,yet so far away.Is that even possible?