- When Yuri woke up to missing memories, She was curious about the mysterious figure of Kang Hyewon who she doesn’t remember anything about… her heart was screaming at her to remember but remember what. It was just a matter of promise and memories. -

______

Yuri was happily skipping her way to the bus station, she was ecstatic knowing she’ll meet her old friends for her birthday. 

She had been out to buy some food knowing they’ll need a lot of it, these girls were eating more than the army. Her mind went to a particular girl, her heart fluttered at the thought. Like each year, Hyewon would come back from overseas to celebrate her birthday, never once skipping or cancelling. Hyewon religiously came back on the 22th of October although she was studying in Japan and was busy with her medical studies. 

Yuri was suddenly a blushing mess. It wasn’t just because Hyewon was coming back even if each year she would feel butterflies swimming in her stomach at the attention... but this time, a particular thought had lodged itself in her mind. 

The bus came and she entered it, a dumb smile on her face, she didn’t even frowned when she saw that there wasn’t a lot of place available inside. She sat down on the only free seat and let herself be submerged in memories of Hyewon and her. 

She wasn’t that lost in her thoughts, as the bus stopped a second time, she saw an old woman enter it... Yuri casted a scanning glance all over the seats and frowned seeing there still weren’t any free seats.

As the older woman slowly walked further, Yuri stood up, giving the old woman a smile. 

"Please take my seat, ma’am." Yuri said. The older woman gave her a grateful smile and sat down with some difficulty. 

"Thank you, child. Here." The grandma, very grateful for Yuri’s very kind gesture, had taken a small candy out of her bag. She handed it to Yuri who took it with a thankful smile. 

At the sight of the brand, Yuri felt her heart flutter even more. It was Hyewon’s favourite. 

She then, again, remembered how today, she was now 21 years old. The number stuck in her mind. 

She put the candy in her purse, maybe she’ll give it to Hyewon today... 

*ding*

Hye: I just landed. 

Hye: Can’t wait to see you :)

Yuri smiled, these were typical Hyewon’s text. Short yet attentive. It never failed to make Yuri smile.

Yul: Can’t wait to see you too <3

However, she started to feel a little hesitant, she wanted to ask something so badly. She never was one to be shy, but, this was Hyewon and she was worried the girl wouldn’t like her question.

With a small sigh, she started typing. It was her birthday anyway and she didn’t see the problem in asking.

Yul: You still remember our promise Unnie ? 

She looked as the text was marked as seen almost immediately and how the three dots indicated an answer being typed down... she waited, looking at those three dots with expectant eyes.

Suddenly, Yuri felt her body jerk forward, as if a strong gust of wind made her fly away like a dandelion seed carried by the breeze.

Yuri heard the loud sound of the glass breaking, the sound of groans, screams and metal being crushed... 

Yuri hit her head and fell down in the bus that slowly started burning... she couldn’t hear anything else, just a long moment of agony and silence where everything felt slowed downed. The feeling of blood streaming down her head, the sight of other bloodied strangers who were either unconscious or screaming in pain and panic. The reddish hues of fiery orange started to take over the grey surrounding as the fire started to warm her up.

She saw the seats above her as she laid down on what was the roof of the bus that was now turned upside down. 

She still couldn’t hear anything, the pain now numb at how strong it was and the blood covering this nightmarish sight in front of her. The fire was starting to feel hotter, she could faintly see the flames not so far away closing in. 

Her vision blurred and a white spot started to overcome her senses. All she saw was white before no other thoughts passed by in her mind.

Screams. That was all everyone could hear. Just screams and cries. 

As Yuri was in the operation room, her parents, family and all her friends waited... the call they received merely minutes ago still left them in a horrible daze. Minjoo had passed out earlier when they were running to the hospital and Yujin had taken her away in worry. Eunbi was pacing around. Some were sniffling while others were still crying. 

Hyewon had arrived to this sight, this news and this heartbreak. She didn’t have time to cry as she saw everyone looking at her with worry. She didn’t have time to shed a single tear as she felt her heart rip apart. She felt Eunbi coming up to her and giving her a hug... she saw her cousin, Yena, staring at her in pure worry while Yuri’s parents came to her and also hugged her while crying. 

They all knew that this probably affected Hyewon differently, not worse as this pain was as big for everyone, not less because Hyewon adored Yuri more than anything... but this was why she was the one who felt just empty, the pain too big to even affect her, it was as big as her love for the girl on the brink of death a few meters away... it was unmeasurable. 

Hyewon spent her everydays in the hospital room. Hoping the girl would wake up. Yuri’s parents would come inside the room and usually observe how Hyewon silently stayed there just watching every single trait of Yuri’s face. Watching her again and again, scanning her every detail. 

One day, Eunbi came in. She had bought a lunch for Hyewon who didn’t even bother buying one. 

"Hyewon-ah, you’ll have to go back. You can’t delay your studies." Eunbi said carefully, watching a single tear rolling down the girl’s eyes. 

"I know... I just hope she’ll wake up while I’m still here." Hyewon replied with evident sadness in her voice.

"It’s been 4 months..." Hyewon mumbled under her breath. 

"You have to continue your studies... your scholarship could be taken away if you stay here longer." Eunbi said... she knew how Hyewon worked hard on getting her scholarship.

"Kkura got me plane tickets already... I’m going back next week." Hyewon’s voice  cracked. She didn’t want to go. 

"I don’t know what to feel... there’s just a void here." Hyewon said in between sobs while clenching at her chest. Eunbi went to hug her, she felt the tears wetting her shirt but she didn’t mind. Seeing Hyewon like this, it was heartbreaking itself... seeing her this broken.

____

Opening her eyes, she was met with a white ceiling, the sound of regular beeps beside her. Her eyes landed on the brown and wide orbs of the girl next to her... the girl then was running out of her room loudly, calling a doctor. 

She just laid there.

The doctors had checked on her, relieved at no apparent complications. Her family rushed inside after the girl she first saw had called everyone while announcing the news. 

She looked at all the faces looking at her, some very familiar while others were more blurry... she could recognize her cousin, Chaewon. Her parents. Her friends were a harder task, she could remember them but she felt as if something was missing. 

Looking over at all her friends, something was missing. Definitely was. Yet, she couldn’t pinpoint exactly what. 

"Something is missing." She mumbled out.

"It’s not surprising, you may have some partial amnesia after your accident." The doctor replied.

It was true, she really had missing memories. She had troubles recognising her friends and couldn’t remember events clearly in her mind. 

But this wasn’t what was missing, that was what the small voice inside of her was screaming. She didn’t know why she felt sad while looking at everyone’s face.

"Congratulations Miss Jo Yuri." She had heard the doctor say, congratulating her for waking up after 7 months of coma. 

_____

The next few months were hard to say the least, she underwent rehabilitation as she couldn’t walk nor move her hands due to the damaging of her nerves. 

With a lot of effort, she could play the piano and run again, the doctor had said to her, encouraging her to take another step ahead. 

She knew it won’t be the same though, her memories were still incomplete, some popping back randomly, some being triggered but she knew that something was missing. 

The doctors had told her that they would come back someday and that they would be easier to remember while spending time with her friends and close ones. 

Oh, and did she mention how this one girl was coming here everyday. Never missing a day to visit her. She was the same girl that she saw the first time she woke up. They would talk and Yuri would laugh a lot throughout their time spent together... however, the more time she passed with the girl, the more she felt like something was missing out... but what.

One month after waking up, she was officially discharged from the hospital as they saw that there were no complications. Her parents were busy that day so it was the same girl who visited everyday who took care of bringing her back home, Eunbi -as the mom friend she was- also came to help them.

Entering her room after so many months, Yuri could tell that nothing had changed but was still very different. Eunbi was preparing some snacks in the kitchen while the other girl had pushed Yuri who was on a wheelchair inside her room. 

"Nothing has changed." Yuri said while looking around. 

"It didn’t, right." The girl replied back. 

Yuri then took the initiative to push herself around the room. Looking at the guitar and the piano in a corner, the plushies on her bed and the pictures hanging a little everywhere around. On her desk, a picture of her and her cousin, Chaewon, posing sillily. 

She looked next to it and a group photo was there, all the familiar faces she saw at the hospital, visiting her regularly, all there... but there was one person missing. Someone she didn’t remember seeing, someone she didn’t have any memories of.

The last picture is a picture of her with that one stranger, both hugging each other with big smiles on their faces.

"Who is she.?" Yuri asked the other person in the room while taking the picture in her hands... she couldn’t pinpoint the emotions surging up suddenly. She didn’t even know why her mind was voicelessly screaming at her.

Silent... the girl stayed silent for a short moment but Yuri felt it. 

"She’s my cousin. Kang Hyewon." She had replied, trying to conceal her emotions.

Kang Hyewon... the name seemed familiar, the face was just as familiar... but why couldn’t she remember anything about her.

"Y-you don’t remember her ?" The girl asked, stuttering a little as she was as shocked and sad at the thought of it.

"No... I don’t remember her." Yuri said slowly, watching the familiar yet distant traits of Kang Hyewon in the picture. 

The girl behind her stayed silent. As if letting the information sink in... 

"Yena ! Come here for a sec !" Eunbi yelled from the kitchen, asking for the other girl to come.

Yuri felt the girl who had spent her everydays with her since she woke up walk away.... but her eyes never left the face on the picture. 

‘Kang Hyewon. Kang Hyewon. Kang Hyewon.’ The name repeating in loops inside her head. She wanted to remember but the more she tried the further the memories ran away. It was like desperately chasing something that moved one step further at each step closer. 

Inside the kitchen, Eunbi looked at Yena with expectant eyes, waiting for the answer she desperately wanted to hear.

Yena didn’t say anything, just shaking her head while l