Wheein and I were lying beside each other. Everything around us was dark and blurry but I could clearly see the beautiful starry night above us. I could clearly see Wheein’s sparkly eyes and that single deep dimple on her right cheek as she stared at the night sky. I could also hear us laughing out loud for reasons that I don’t know. She’d smile so wide at me and I could feel my cheeks rising as I smiled back at her.

Then suddenly the scene changed. She was walking backwards as she faced me. Her long dark hair and the skirt of her dress were floating all around her. It was a scene on our first date when we were walking by the Han River. Her hands were clasped behind her but her smile was just like when we were under the starry night sky. I could feel myself smiling back at her. I could hear our soft giggles but neither one of us were laughing. We were just calmly walking, smiling at each other.

The scene suddenly changed right away. This time Wheein had a handful of white flowers in her hands. I recognized them as magnolias. The ones she brought with her on our first date. The scene wasn’t on our first date though. We were in a room I couldn’t recognize. She was sitting on the edge of the bed close to me while I was lying down. She was smiling so wide at me while I felt myself frowning at her before my lips slowly turned into a smile. She smiled wider, showing her dimple to me. I could still hear our giggles but neither one of us were still laughing.

The next things happened so fast like a flash.

One moment, I could see Wheein and I running as we held hands. Then I was suddenly lying down on a couch with my head resting on Wheein’s lap while she rubbed her hand on my back. It changed so fast again and now I could see myself sitting while Wheein was in front of me, leaning forward to kiss my forehead. Then I could see Wheein hugging me from behind while I rested my head on hers. Our eyes were closed while we were slowly swaying from side to side. It changed again and now I could see Wheein and I were lying comfortably beside each other, throwing soft kisses to each other and whispering words of affection.

This continued for a couple of seconds, showing scenes I could and couldn’t recognize. It was always of me and Wheein and I could still hear our giggles in the background. And then suddenly, I’m back to lying down beside Wheein under the starry night sky. She was still smiling at the stars while I was just staring at her intently.

“What do you love about stargazing?” I heard my voice ask. Then I felt her hand holding mine as she intertwined our fingers together.

“It’s entrancing—The view is so simple—it never fails to amaze me—” I heard her voice respond while she continued to stare at the stars with unmoving. “It’s so ordinary yet it is still so beautiful”

“I love you” I heard my voice say next.

She moved her head so she could look at me, directing her smile at me this time. “I love you too” I heard Wheein say next, her lips still unmoving.

Wheein wrapped her arms around my waist and pulled me closer to her before she shifted our bodies. I was now lying on top of her while my arms were wrapped around her shoulders. We were smiling at each other as our faces got closer. Before our lips could even touch, everything suddenly turned black.

My eyes suddenly opened wide before I instantly closed them when my head suddenly hurt. I sighed heavily and breathed deeply a couple of times while I massaged my scalp. I concentrated on breathing until the pain in my head was gone.

I laid on my back and stared at the ceiling in my room, wondering about my dream. I don’t have to think too much when I can hear Wheein saying I love you to me in my dreams. Even in the void that I was in when I was still in a coma, I could hear Wheein’s familiar voice saying I love you a couple of times. I never brought this up to Wheein because she said that we were in a relationship.

Maybe that love turned into friendship because that’s how we are now since I got discharged from the hospital.

Hyejin discharged me the moment I was already stable. My physical therapy still continued despite being out of the hospital. I wasn’t able to go to work yet because I’m still weak. I couldn’t even drive even if I wanted to. Wheein would always accompany me to the hospital for my physical therapy. I just also discovered that in the five years worth of memories that I lost, she became my legal guardian. Or was it when I was still in a coma? I wasn’t sure when but I know Wheein’s my legal guardian now, which made a lot of sense.

She never left my side during my recovery until I was discharged from the hospital. She helped me settle my bills. She helped me get comfortable in my room. She answered all of my questions. There were some vague answers, specifically how I got into an accident and our failed relationship, but she would always answer my questions. She fulfilled her promise of not leaving me.

My ringing alarm directed my attention away from the ceiling. I sighed heavily and reached for my phone on the bedside table. I turned my alarm off and instead of getting up, I laid on my back again and closed my eyes. Then I waited. I breathed deeply and just waited.

I smiled when I heard the light knock on my door. “Finally” I whispered under my breath.

“Yong…” Wheein called from the other side of the door. “Are you awake now? It’s time for your morning stretches already”

“I’m up already”

“Okay… Want me to help you get up?”

“It’s okay, Whee. I can handle myself”

“Okay. Call me if you need something” she said before I heard her footsteps walking away from my door.

I sighed heavily once again before I pushed myself up. I dragged both of my legs out of the bed before I boosted myself up in a standing position, biting my bottom lip as I groaned from concentration. I breathed deeply before I staggered and slowly walked out of my room. My arms had already regained their strength. It’s not as good as I remembered but they’re much better than my legs. I could even feed myself now. My legs were still bothering me though.

My therapist still advised me to use the walker since I’m still not stable on my own but I don’t like using it. I don’t like how it makes me look like I’m incapable of holding myself up. It hurts my pride a little bit and discourages me. It’s just sitting in the corner of my room right now, far away from my sight.

Wheein would scold me if she’d see me walking without my walker. It worries her that I might fall or lose balance. Hyejin just smiles at me and encourages me. Wheein would glare at her and Hyejin would return it with a wink. I’d just smile at them and continue to be stubbornly walking without the help of that annoying walker.

“Where’s your walker?” Wheein asked the moment I was out of my room. She rushed to me right away and held my hands as she pouted at me. “You got to use your walker until you're stable on your legs again”

“I don’t like that thing. It makes me look old” I mumbled and let her lead me to the living room.

She only sighed disapprovingly as she shook her head and didn’t argue anymore. She just held my hands and watched my legs while walking backwards in front of me. She’d flinched and stopped moving every time I staggered sideways. Then she’d frown at me while giving me a pointed look.

“Makes me look old. Hate it” I mumbled while breathing heavily when the walk from my bedroom to the living room was already exhausting. Walking is still something that takes the majority of my energy even when it’s just a short distance.

“Yong…” she whispered in defeat before she sighed heavily once again.

I released her hands and sat down on the mat she laid down on the floor for me. I took a couple of minutes to catch my breath before I lied down on the mat. Then I proceeded with my usual leg stretching routine. Wheein would occasionally kneel down beside me to help me, but most of the time, she’d just watch while I grunted and groaned during my stretches.

When I was done, I laid down on the mat with my arms and legs spread on either side of me. I could feel my body getting sticky from my sweat when all I ever did was a thirty-minute stretch. I closed my eyes and concentrated on breathing. Dammit, my body so badly right now. I even have a scar on my head that I have to deliberately arrange my hair to cover it.

“Yong”

I opened my eyes and saw Wheein handing me a towel. “Tired…” I whispered before I closed my eyes again. I could feel her moving closer to me. Then I felt the soft cotton of the towel on my face when she gently wiped the sweat for me. “Thanks”

“Bunnies” she whispered before I heard her giggling softly.

“Hmm…” I smiled and opened my eyes again, seeing the small smile on her lips and her eyes that looked so focused as she wiped my neck this time. I pointed at her own pajamas and whispered, “Puppies”

“Yeah… ” she hummed as she nodded at me. Once she was done wiping the sweat off my face, she helped me up in a sitting position. “Headaches?”

“None”

“Dizziness?”

“Nope”

“Will you be okay later?”

Today’s Saturday. Wheein always has a thing on the weekends I had no idea of. She’d sometimes ask Hyejin to stay with me because she has something to do or somewhere to go. I asked her one time about it and she only answered with something important. That’s another vague answer I got from her.

I pushed back my hair as I grabbed the water bottle she handed to me. I took a couple of sips first before I nodded at her. “I’ll be fine. My friends will be here. I can also handle myself, Wheein. Don’t worry too much”

She grabbed the bottle from me and held my hands. Then she pulled me up while I grunted as I pushed myself to stand up. She held me steady and waited for me to find my balance.

“Thank you” I whispered while she nodded at me.

My fingers caught the metal band of her ring on her left hand. I stared at it and ran my thumb on its stone repeatedly. Then I smiled at her while she only bent her head low and stared at her ring. “Nice ring”

“Thank you” she whispered. She squeezed my hands before she released them and stood beside me. She placed an arm around my waist before we started walking. “I’ll make us breakfast while you take a bath”

“Okay”

I don’t have to earn my Ph.D. in order to figure out that what she was wearing was an engagement ring. However, when I was still in the hospital, I asked her if she was ever in a relationship after me and she said no. I assumed the ring holds something important to her, that’s why she’s wearing it despite not being in a relationship or not being engaged. But I’m not sure since I never asked her about it. And I never asked her about it because Wheein’s a private person. She never even allowed me inside her room when she toured me around her penthouse.

“How are the brains you’ve been keeping inside your room?” I teasingly asked when we passed by her door on our way to my room.

“Well preserved,” she said before she chuckled softly, making me smile at her.

When I asked her why I wasn’t allowed to get a glimpse of her room, she said that she’s keeping brains in there. I know it was a joke but I never pushed forward. I didn’t find it weird either. I trust Wheein that she’s not keeping something illegal in there. I trust Wheein enough.

“Call me if you need anything,” she said as she helped me inside my bathroom while I leaned both of my hands on the sink.

“I’ll be fine, brain doctor”

“Why are you so stubborn?” she whispered as she shook her head at me while I smiled teasingly and winked at her.

“I’ll be fine. I promise. Thank you for helping me”

“No problem. I promised. Remember?”

I gave her a sincere smile this time as I nodded at her. “I know. Thank you”

“Don’t be too long. Use your walker when you go to the kitchen for breakfast later.” She closed the door right away before I could even protest.

“I told you I hate it! It makes me look old!” I shouted, making sure she could hear me in case she was already outside my room. Then I smiled and chuckled when I could clearly hear her laugh.

I was sitting on the living room couch and watching a TV show while Wheein was sitting right beside me. She was wearing her glasses and her eyebrows were furrowed in concentration as she stared at brains after brains on her tablet. I went back to the TV show, in which I had no idea what’s happening, before I glanced at Wheein again.

“I thought you have somewhere to go”

“I’m waiting for at least one of your friends to get here. I don’t want to leave you by yourself”

“Are you close with my friends?”

She looked away from her tablet and narrowed her eyes like she’s thinking. “We’re not… I think”

“You’re not?”

“I met them. You introduced me to them but I don’t see them more often so I think we’re not close”

“Yeah… they’re busy with work”

“Until now too,” Wheein said as she smiled at me. Then she went back to her tablet and looked at the CT scans of brains again. “They’re friendly though but I couldn’t say we’re close”

“But me and Hyejin are?”

She nodded as she smiled wider. “Yeah… If you and Hyejin will go out, you’ll make a good pair. You click right away”

“How about us though? We do make a good pair too”

“Yeah… but not enough,” she whispered.

The smile on her face was gone and was replaced with a stoic expression. She wasn’t even concentrating anymore as she stared at her tablet unlike earlier. Her eyes were on her tablet but she had a faraway look.

“Not enough” I whispered, repeating her words as I continued to stare at her intently.

There’s something about the way she said those words that sounded like she regretted something. Whether it’s regret that we broke up or regret that things between us weren’t enough was something I don’t know.

The Wheein I remembered six years ago and the Wheein sitting beside me right now are different. I mean, she’s still caring and gentle. She’s still shy and gets embarrassed every time she gets teased. But she’s indifferent towards me. She’s drawing a line between us. The fact that she has things to do and places to go that I have no idea of, and there are parts in her life that she preferred she’d keep to herself is enough for me to say that she’s quite indifferent now. I even have a hard time deciphering the expressions on her as well.

The Wheein I remembered was always smiling brightly like the ones I could see in my dreams. The Wheein I remembered was always giggly and would always infect me with her excitement and energy. I couldn’t see that Wheein anymore. She used to be the one breaking down my walls and invading me beyond those walls I built to protect myself. But now, she’s the one keeping those walls up and I’m the one trying to break them because I wanted to figure her out. I wanted to know what happened that made her change.

Did something happen in those times that we were together for her to be so guarded?

“Wheein”

“Hmm…” She glanced at me, eyebrows raised as she waited for me to continue.

“Did you regret dating me?”

She instantly frowned at me while I just waited for her to answer me. Her eyes scanned all over my face but she kept close. She just continued to frown at me. She suddenly looked away and removed her glasses as she sighed heavily. Still, she didn’t answer my question.

“Did you regret it?” I asked her again. “It seems like my presence here is a burden to you” I whispered while she closed her eyes and groaned in protest. “I can go back to my previous apartment—”

“No. You’re not doing that” she said, interrupting me right away. “You’re staying here, Yong. Your presence is not a burden. I prefer you to be here, especially that you’re still recovering. I promise not to leave you, remember?”

“But if I’m disturbing you—”

“You’re not disturbing me.” Her eyes went to the front door when we heard the doorbell ring while I continued to stare at her. “Your friends are here. Let me get that” she said as she hurriedly went to the front door.

I sighed heavily as I watched Wheein open the door. She greeted Chorong and Irene as she allowed my friends to get inside. They both hugged Wheein as they said something to each other I couldn’t hear because they’re too far and they’re talking in low voices.

Chorong just came here to do a quick visit on me. Then she’ll be flying back to Japan right away because of her work. Irene took a leave for today just so she could visit and check on me as well.

Wheein rushed to her bedroom while my friends were walking towards me. I stayed seated as me and my friends greeted each other. We hugged each other as well while they both bent down and took turns kissing my cheek.

“Thank you for visiting me” I said to them as they sat on either side of me.

“Yong”

I frowned at Wheein when she brought my walker and placed it beside the couch. “Wheein…” I whispered exasperatedly.

“Use it”

“I don’t like it. I hate it”

“Your therapist told you that you should still use it”

“Hyejin said it’s okay not to use it”

“What if you lose your balance?”

“What if I won’t?”

“Yong…” She closed her eyes as she sighed heavily while I tried not to show my smile to her.

I felt a nudge on my right and saw Chorong glaring at me. “What?”

“Listen to your doctor” she said while I frowned at her.

“I’ll just stay seated here”

“What if you need to go to the bathroom?” Irene asked on my other side.

“I just won’t drink water then so I don’t have to go to the bathroom”

“Stubborn” they all whispered at the same time while I frowned at all of them.

“I have to go now” Wheein said and I opened my arms right away when she walked closer to me. She hugged me tightly before she started rubbing her hand on my back. “Call me if you need anything”

“I will. Don’t worry too much. My friends are here to help me”

“Call Hyejin if your head hurts or if you get dizzy”

“I will”

“Use your walker”

“I won't,” I whispered before I smiled when I heard her laughing softly.

“Stubborn.” She squeezed me one last time before she pulled back to look at me. She ran her eyes all over my face as she said, “Don’t overexert yourself too much, okay?”

“I won’t. I promise”

She nodded before she finally released me in her arms. “I’ll come back after dinner.” She said goodbye to Irene and Chorong before she walked towards the front door while waving at us.

“Drive safely” I called out to her.

She faltered on her steps while the hand that was waving at us stopped moving. “I’m taking the train”

“Oh, yeah. Sorry. I forgot. Stay safe then”

She nodded at me before she hurriedly exited the house, leaving me with my friends.

Chorong, Irene, and I caught up with one another. I decided to turn the TV off since there was no point in using it anymore now that I’m doing something else other than waiting. They told me what they’ve been doing for the past five years and I told them what I could only remember. I wasn’t shocked when Chorong and Irene were still dating Bomi and Seulgi respectively.

We decided to move to the kitchen when it was almost dinner time already. Chorong helped me walk from the living room to the kitchen because I still refused to use the walker. Irened walked ahead of us to start cooking.

“How was it living with Wheein?” Chorong asked as she sat m