[June 2010; 1 In The Afternoon]

[Daesung POV]

My sobs have stopped, but the pain still hasn’t subsided. But I guess that what I’m expecting. Instead of kneeling on the floor, I’m on the bed, lying next to Mi Sun’s unmoving body with my arm around her shoulders.

I shift my position and lay her head on my chest; feeling stands of her hair running through my numb fingers.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

The door opens and Jiyoung sticks her head in. Her eyes instantly find me, but then it trails down to my body tangled in with Mi Sun’s. “Can I come in?” She whispers, meeting my eyes again.

I nod, still can’t find my voice. I tighten my hold on Mi Sun as if Jiyoung was going to pull us apart. Jiyoung walks over and stands beside the bed, where I was laying down. I eye her hand as she raises it up and lightly touches my arm that was lounging on my stomach. I flinch strongly, and she pulls away with a sigh.

I look at her with apologetic eyes. It’s not that I’m really scared that she’ll tear up apart at this moment, but right now I don’t want anyone touching me besides Mi Sun. Despite me feeling numb in the inside, I’m highly sensitive right now.

“Daesung oppa…” She starts, her voice still quiet. “The other four are asking if it’s okay to head off first.” I nod, and she gives me confused look. I clear my throat, feeling that knife stab my throat again.

“Y-yeah.” My voice cracks out. I wince at the sound; I never noticed how long I’ve been quiet. “They can go first.”

“What about me?” She asks.

What about you? A part of my mind remarks. I shake the thoughts away and answer, “You can go home, too.”

Jiyoung shakes her head. “But, oppa, what about you? Take me home, please. You need to rest, too.” She glances at Mi Sun.

I frantically shake my head, feeling that panic rising in me. No one is going to pull us apart. Not now. “I’m sorry, but…” I look down at Mi Sun’s bruised face. “I don’t think I can leave her.” I whisper. I bow my head, my face buried in Mi Sun’s hair.

I don’t hear anyone reply back to me. That’s when I realize that I’m not the only one hurting. I quickly snap my head back up. But no one was in the room beside Mi Sun and I. I hear the door close quietly.

“I’m sorry, Jiyoung. But… I don’t think I can stay by your side.”

~O~O~

[Mi Sun POV]

“I’m sorry, Jiyoung. But…I don’t think I can stay by your side.”

Torn. Absolutely torn. I don’t know what to do, what to think. Hearing this conversation, I’m positive it’s Daesung and Jiyoung. But of all the conversations, why did I have to listen to this one? Does heaven and hell want me to give Daesung up so Jiyoung can be happy? Do they want me to give him up just when I finally remembered him?

I sigh. I’m back in that darkness. As much as it’s harsher and scarier than last time, I don’t feel afraid. Right now, I don’t know what to do. I can’t find myself to resurface. As much as I want to, the feeling of chains holding me down to the bottom is suffocating my heart.

Does it want me to lose my memory again? I don’t want that to happen. Now that I realized that Daesung isn’t just the strange yet kind man that’s taken me in, but he was more than that. He was what my whole life surrounded around, what my heart pounded for. I get back into my mind for it’s reeling back into the past, the past I forgotten.

“Mi Sun, come to dinner at my house? My parents want to finally meet you.” Daesung voice says, his face fading in, giving me that familiar smile; then the scene changes.

“I love you~ and I don’t care if I’m being so cheesy.” Daesung sings, laughing in the process. Once again, the scene changes.

“Try smiling, will you? I’m sure your mom will get better. Don’t cry.” Daesung whispers, flashing a small smile, soothing me.

But those words hit me hard. My mother. All the pain that was caused from her is suddenly making its way back.

“What’s wrong, Mi Sun-ah?” Daesung asks frantically. “Why are you crying so much?” Then here I am again: looking through my eyes, but can’t do anything about what I’m doing.

“Daesung…” I sob out. “I don’t want to go back. I don’t want to go back.” I chant. Daesung pulls me into a hug quickly, rubbing my back soothingly.

“Tell me what happened.” He whispers into my hair, sitting us down on the ground at our sanctuary.

With sobs mixed in my words, I slur, “My f-father s-shot my grandma.”

“What?” Daesung exclaims. He tightens his hold on me. “Why?”

“Appa has a very high temper, you know that. H-he was really angry while a-arguing with grandma… S-she crossed the line and he snapped. H-he… He shot her, Daesung! My own father shot my own grandma!” I yell, crying hard into Daesung’s chest. “I don’t want to go back, Daesung, but what about my mother? What if she gets hurt, too?”

“Shh.” He mumbles. “Your mother is a strong person like you. I’m sure she’ll be fine. But as for you, I don’t want you going back until your father is far away. I can’t risk losing you.”

“You’re really selfish.” I blurt out, a small smile on my trembling lips.

“You know I can’t lose you.”

The scene fades away and a huge wave of pain hit me like a train. I remember how I stayed at Daesung’s house for days, scared that I might run into my father. The look on his face when he pointed the gun towards grandma scared me, the look of the devil. I remember Daesung’s parents calling the police for me, making an anonymous call just for my safety.

I remember how week later Daesung and a few policemen lead me back home. I found my mother there, staring blankly at the wall, sitting still on the couch. I first thought she was just in shock, but when my company left… She’s was the complete opposite of was I thought. I remember her slapping me endlessly, making me stumble to the ground.

I remember her yelling at me, asking why the hell I called the police on my father. I remember the pain after she left me on the floor that night; right after she called me names, cursed at me, beaten me.

And, yes, I remember the next day where I finally realize what my mother had become.

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A/N: All my prayers go out to Japan, Hawaii, and other places that are experiencing a tragedy. May all the people stay safe and healthy♥