It was 4 in the morning. Sooyeon woke up from her slumber and washed herself before getting ready to go to work. Her shift starts at 5:30 in the morning on that day. Sooyeon tidy up her room before exiting the premise. She walked alone toward the main road that will lead to the factory. It was 20 minutes away. She was not scared as there were some people who were walking toward the factory as well.

Upon arriving at the factory, Sooyeon went to the locker room. She kept her things and took her water bottle. The factory provided breakfast as early as 5 in the morning. It was a good initiative to boost up the workers mood in the early morning as they can have a good breakfast and work until lunch hour.

Sooyeon walked to the cafeteria when she saw Yul standing near the cafeteria entrance. Sooyeon was surprised. Why would the CEO be here at this time? She looked at Yul as the guy walked to her. Yul didn’t say anything as he grabbed Sooyeon by the hand and pulled her to follow him.

“Where are we going?” Sooyeon said as she tried to pull her hand away.

Yul did not say anything as he pulled Sooyeon to his car. Yul opened the car door and looked at Sooyeon. Sooyeon entered the car and let Yul closed the door. Yul went to the driver seat and drove away. Sooyeon sat silently. She stole some glances at Yul.

“Where are we going?” Sooyeon asked again.

“Did you know about my father and Tiffany?” Yul asked coldly.

Sooyeon took a deep breath. “I do…”

“Then why didn’t you say anything when I ask you about it?” Yul pulled over at a secluded road.

Yul looked at Sooyeon. Sooyeon looked down to her lap.

“How could I? You were happy to be back with your family…” Sooyeon turned her head to Yul.

“You looked so alive and blissful. You got together back with your siblings and your father too. How could I take that away from you?” Sooyeon added.

“But it was all based on lies…”

“It was for the best. You don’t remember anything about me and there was nothing that I could do to make you remember again. How could I put it in words? How would I even say it?”

Yul eyes stagnated. His chest was heavy with emotions. He did not know what to feel, what to say. Yul alas broke down in a small cry. Sooyeon wished she could hugged the man in front of her but she held back herself. Yul gripped the steering wheel. He took a deep breath. He glanced at Sooyeon.

“You could say something about it. I would have stayed…”

“There were so many times that I wish I did but to drive you away from your family again? It was wrong...I wanted you to stay but not like that…”

“I don’t think I can look at them and act like nothing happen…”

“I know it is hard for you but we have to learn to forgive and forget, Yul. The sooner the better. Let’s just focus on the future. There are more to live other than the past. They are your family. You need them as much as they need you. There is nothing in this world that can replace a family.” Sooyeon uttered softly.

Yul looked at Sooyeon as the woman smiled at him. He nodded eventually, acknowledging her words. They looked at each other again before Yul drive to the factory. Yul dropped Sooyeon at the factory before driving away. Sooyeon stood where Yul left her and watched the car disappeared. She then went to her post but then Mr. Oh who was in the office near the machines, called for her.

“Sooyeon, I have received the report from the hospital and I am really sorry with what has happened but…with that condition of yours, you cannot work in this factory anymore. It is dangerous to let you work near the machine.”

“But Mr. Oh…I need this job. I have upcoming surgery to do…how would I pay for that if I don’t work?” Sooyeon cried away.

Mr. Oh sighed.

“It’s the factory’s SOP. There’s nothing I can do about that. This month is ending next week. I will give you the appropriate letter later. That’s all.”

Mr. Oh turned his chair around to avoid talking to Sooyeon. Sooyeon heart dropped. She walked out the office and cried silently as she made her way to the ladies room. Sooyeon entered one of the toilet and cried her heart out. All of sudden, a sharp pain was felt in her left ear. Sooyeon scrunched her eyes and pressed her ears in pain. She tried to exit the toilet but fail as she fell unconscious on the floor.

//

After the meeting with Sooyeon, Yul brought himself away from his family. He even break up with Joohyun. He just want to be away from everyone and everything. He went to various countries just to find closure. Just staying there at where he used to be, doing what he did best, hiking, but he was never at peace.

Cheol called him, asking about the companies and the contracts he merged but he did not any heart for that anymore. He could not enter that life anymore. Those were built on lies and he could not bring his self to forgive his father yet. He just could not.

He looked at a journal he started keeping since he started his journey. He wrote every little things he remembered about his life and about the life he lost. The years spent with Sooyeon. Yul tried so hard to remember about Sooyeon again but he didn’t have any clue. There was nothing he could do.

Yul looked at Sooyeon’s name which he scribbled in his journal. “Sooyeon.” He uttered as he looked out the window, wishing for a meeting with that woman. He hoped he still has chance to see Sooyeon and redeem himself to her.

//

Yul looked around the factory as he made his way to his office. The managers who saw him greeted him in surprise. They haven’t seen him for months. Yul went to the HR office right away.

“Mr. Kwon. What are you doing here?” the man stood and bowed to Yul.

“I need Jung Sooyeon’s information. Her phone number and her address.”

“Jung Sooyeon…one second.” The man typed in the name and read the info he got from his database.

“Mr. Kwon, Jung Sooyeon is no longer working here. She resigned 3 months ago.”

“What? Why?”

“It is said due to hearing disability…do you want me to print this for you?”

Yul who was shocked to hear about the disability, nodded to the man’s offer. He sat down at the chair in front of the man. Hearing disability?

//

‘Sooyeon left 3 months ago. She didn’t tell me anything. After she left the factory, she stayed for a week and then asked for her deposits. I didn’t see her after that at all.’

Yul was back in his car after meeting the premise owner where Sooyeon used to rent a room. He heaved a sigh. He wondered where Sooyeon could be. Yul tried to call Sooyeon’s phone number he received from the factory but there was no answer. Yul rested his head on the steering wheel. He took a deep breath before he remembered something. He fiddled with the car keys and drove away.

//

Sooyeon closed the cottage door and locked it securely. She lighted up a candle and lit all the candles in the cottage. She was back at the cottage after she resigned from the factory. She asked Jumyeon if she could rent the cottage again but Jumyeon was reluctant because the cottage has been abandoned for so long and even the amenities like electricity and water were not available anymore but Sooyeon begged and begged until Jumyeon agreed. So there she was. At the old cottage.

The first day she was there, she cleaned everything. The floor, the windows, the shelves and everything. On the second day, she started with the garden. She plough the ground again to make it suitable for her vegetables later. Sooyeon was finally happy. Being there at the cottage again, she was happy. Jumyeon even gave cheaper rent. So it was all okay again. Sooyeon used the water from the river and for electricity, she didn’t need it much so she figured, she better used candle instead.

 ‘It’s Meniere’s disease. It is causes by changes in the fluid in the inner tube of the ear. The excessive fluid in your ear is what causing you fainting, pain in your ear and also hearing loss. As what the MRE showed, I suggest we do the endolymphatic sac procedure to decrease the production of the fluid in your ear.’

‘If the surgery is not done doctor?’

‘You may have permanent hearing loss.’

Sooyeon remembered her conversation with the doctor. The doctor also said not to be alone as she can faint at any time and the faint can last for hours which will be dangerous for her but she figured if she stayed back in the cottage, everything will be okay. Though the aching in her ear was getting worse. Just last month, she fainted outside, near the garden. She woke up hours later when it was already dusk. And there was a time when she fainted at the kitchen while cooking and cut her forehead. When she woke up, the cut was already dry. Sooyeon was scared of the faints she was having but what else can she do? She has no one to rely on.

Sooyeon decided not to continue with the treatment as the surgery cost was very costly. With the factory SOP demanding her to resign, Sooyeon decided to live with the illness instead. She couldn’t afford the surgery and how would she even survive life after that? The doctor mentioned an ear device which is expensive as well. Sooyeon fiddled with her fingers. She took her mobile phone and opened a video she downloaded from YouTube. It was a news cut of Yul giving a speech. She played the video just to listen to Yul’s voice again. She smiled watching Yul’s face that she missed so much. One thing that she is scared of is if she forgot how Yul sounded like when she becomes