When Jongin wakes up, he finds himself in an unfamiliar room. Everything that surrounds him is white and the only sound that reaches his ears is the constant beep of a machine, indicating he’s alive. Confusion melts into fear when the image of a car crash plays in the back of his eyes. It’s the last thing he remembers before losing count of what happened. His eyes frantically search for someone familiar, probably his mother, but standing at the furthest edge of the room is a man he cannot clearly see. When the man notices movement from Jongin, he comes closer.

“I will call the doctor for you,” he says.

Jongin doesn’t recognize the voice, nor the man’s face. He moves with grace and in a few seconds after he leaves the room, another man in a white uniform comes in.

“How are you feeling?” The doctor asks Jongin.

He doesn’t react. He's in shock, because the image of the car crash is vivid in his mind, combined with the fear of being in a hospital.

“You must be surprised. It was a strong crash and you’ve been out for some days, but you’re alive and there is no visible damage. Your mother told us you’ve been in another accident some years ago, as well. Quite a lucky guy, I would say.”

Jongin simply listens to the doctor and a new worry seeps its way through his blood. It's not the first time he ends up in a situation like this and yet another time, he is lucky to escape unscathed. Question is, how long will it be until his luck runs out?

The unknown man doesn’t leave Jongin’s side. When he is feeling better and the doctors confirm he is out of every possible risk, he takes the chance to ask them about the mysterious person who has stayed with him in the hospital. The doctors give him a name that he is not familiar with. Shin Segi. Jongin doesn’t know how to approach him, but the man saves him from the pain of asking. He strikes up a conversation first.

“You must be wondering who I am,” he calmly says and Jongin nods. “You could say I am the reason why you are on that bed right now. Cruel twist of fate, how the tables have turned.”

Jongin doesn’t understand a thing from what the man is saying, other than the fact that he is the person who caused the accident.

“Do I know you?” He asks in confusion and discomfort.

“You do, you just don’t remember,” the man named Segi answers. “You are in Seoul right now, in the SanQ Hospital. You were driving and so was I when we crossed each-other. I was at a high speed and I lost control of the car, but in panic, I swerved from crashing it into the rails. But I forced you to crash your own car. I brought you to my hospital since I was guilty of causing the accident. I wanted to make sure you were safe, which you are. You don’t have to feel scared of me or the staff. We’re all here to help you feel better again,” Segi concludes.

“What about my mother? She was waiting for me to visit her. Does she know what happened?”

“I notified her through your cellphone. She was by your side the first week you got admitted into the hospital, but you were unconscious during that time. She told me it was your birthday on the 14th and that you were going to visit her in Busan after a long time.”

Jongin nods. “Where is she now?”

“I convinced her to go back and I’ve updated her daily about your condition. Tomorrow she’ll be here.”

Jongin breathes a sigh of relief. He feels sorry for making his mother worry for a second time by getting into an accident, but he also feels calm knowing she will be by his side very soon. However that calmness is short-lived, because he still doesn’t feel good about not being able to recognize the man in front of him.

“Even though you told me I know you, I can’t remember you at all, mister,” he tells Segi and the older man sighs.

“Rest for now. Enjoy your mother’s presence when she comes. I will tell you everything when the time is right,” Segi says and leaves the room, leaving Jongin to wonder about everything he had heard so far.

His mother can’t stop crying even when she sees with her own eyes that Jongin is safe. No matter what he tells her, she cries and cries until she feels she’s cried enough. Jongin understands she has to go through that process and only hugs his mother whenever she starts tearing up and thanking the heavens for letting him live through the accident. It’s hard seeing her in tears because of him, but that also reminds Jongin to feel even more thankful for being alive.

“I made you some spinach soup,” she tells him on the third day of her visit.

“My favorite,” Jongin says and he feels like a child when his mother sets up the bowl in front of him and starts feeding him. He allows her to do it, even though he is now capable of doing things by himself.

“Did you know Mr. Shin won’t charge us for the time you’ve been here?” His mother strikes up a conversation and it catches Jongin by surprise.

“What?”

“Yes. I have been speaking to him daily through the phone and every time I’ve brought up the payment issue, he’s been adamant about not taking money from us.”

“Did he tell you why?”

“Said he owed it to his daughter. See, he told me she passed away in a car crash, years ago. He wasn’t able to save her, but he says he’s happy you didn’t share the same end.”

His mother’s words leave him shocked. He clearly remembers the man talking about a cruel twist of fate when they had their first conversation after he woke up. But what does Jongin have to do with his deceased daughter?

Jongin’s mother stays by his side for another three days. Shin Segi confirms to the both of them that Jongin can be discharged in the weekend and return to his normal life as if nothing ever happened. She cries when she bids her son goodbye and Jongin hugs her tightly before letting her go. He is left in a deafening silence when his mother leaves and it lasts for a while, before Segi comes back to his room. Jongin hadn’t seen the man much when his mother stayed by him.

“Feeling sad now that your mother left?” He gently asks Jongin and the latter nods. “We never really grow up in front of our mothers, do we?” Segi tries to lighten up the mood and he manages to do it to some extent.

“I want to thank you for your generosity. My mother told me you didn’t accept payment for my hospitalization,” Jongin bows to the older man.

“No need to thank me. It was the least I could do after causing all the worry to your mother and you. I hope you will be able to forgive me,” Segi humbly says.

“It was an accident. It could have happened to anyone,” replies Jongin.

Silence stretches between the two, after that. Segi remembers how Haneul had once told him the same thing. He has been feeling an immense amount of guilt ever since he brought Jongin to the hospital, not only for crashing into him, but also for having performed a memory removal on him those years ago. He knows he has promised to tell the boy the entire truth about who he is, but he is a