Chapter 2: Seoul, Here We Come!

Yoo Ah In was thinking. It’s been three weeks since Miss amnesia girl as everyone seemed to agree to call her like that woke up.

She had began to go to the psychologist in order to try to recover bits of her memory. Until now, nada.

He could sense more than see that she was frustated. She still didn’t remember her name. And no one really know how to call her. She was referred as Miss amnesia. Not the most original nor the prettiest name he heard.

He entered her room and greeted her. She was on her bed, reading. He visited her everyday since her awakening and discovered a bit of her liking taste. He found out that she loved to read, especially those boring classic stuff school mandated you to read. She also seemed to be a good drawer. She even made a portrait of him quite successfully. And he couldn’t help but notice her gracefulness. The little she talked was in a very polite and formal way. The manner she walked was graceful, almost like a dancer.

Maybe she was one?

“Hey, how is my favorite girl? Look what I brought you.” He gave her the heavy bag he was holding.

It was a collection of book. English classical books nonetheless. Jane Austen, Elizabeth Gaskell, Charles Dickens even Shakespeare ....! She would surely need a lifetime to finish all of these.

“I thought you might be bored and since you’re a typical girl who’s crazy over romantic story... “ He widened his eyes comically looking at her as if she wasn’t on her right mind.

She laughed softly and thanked him, putting the boring magazine on the table next to her and took randomly one of the book. She read the title: North & South from Elizabeth Gaskell.

A good choice.

As she was about to read it, Ah In walked closer to her and took the book gently away. She protested but he shook his head and took her hand.

“How”s it going?” He asked softly.

Her first asking eyes darkened with sadness. She simply shook her head, eyes closed.

“It’s okay. It’s gonna be okay. You’ll see. You just need to be patient. Just give yourself more time. Don’t... don’t overwork yourself, okay?”

Reaching her other hand, he tightened his grasp on them.

“I know I don’t really have a right to do this but ....” He hesitated for a second. Looking right at her, he continued:

“Because you don’t know what your name is, I took the liberty to choose a name for you.”

He blushed unable to maintain the eye contact. If he had, he would have seen the complete astounishment and gratefulness on her face. She gasped almost inaudibly and a tiny smile took its place on her teary face. For three weeks now, she had been unable to name the person she was seeing everyday in front of the mirror and nobody could call her with a name. It would always be ‘miss’ from doctors and nurses or ‘young girl’ from elders or ‘hey,you!’ from the others. Worse, whenever people talked about her, she knew they referred her as ‘the amnesia girl’. She remembered the look of surprise mixed with guilt on their face when she caught them talking about her in a corridor.

She couldn’t name herself, but someone else would. This someone will be Yoo Ah In and for that, she’ll be eternally grateful.

“What is it?” She inquired, eager to know what name he choose.

“Huh?”

His surprised face made her giggle. He looked kinda cute like that. Looked like a child.

“What is it, the name you pick?” She asked again.

“Oh...” He scratched his head, embarrassed. Clearing his throat, he announced with his grand air:

“I, Yoo Ah In declare to officiously name you  Jung So Min.”

A moment of silence. One minute then two minutes.

“So Min ah? Jung So Min.... My name is Jung So Min...” She tasted the sound of her new name. She then and there decided that she liked her name.

For the first time since he met her, Yoo Ah In felt dazzled by the hugeness of her smile.

She reach out her arm to him.

“Hey. I’m Jung So Min. Nice to meet you too.” 

**

“Sho, the doctour chaid that you cod leave in thho days. Exchited moouch?” Ah In asked, mouth full of indistinguishable food.

So Min and he were both at the cafeteria of the hospital, eating a suspicious form that did not look like food.

She absent-mindly wondered if it was even edible.

“Did you not learn to not speak with your mouth full?” Grimacing as she saw a piece of what looked like rice fell from his mouth.

He smirked teasingly, moved his head forward and unexpectingly opened wide his mouth for her too see.  She moved further away from the table, letting out a sound of disgust.

“You’re a disgusting man. The food doesn’t even look like food.”

“Oh, So Min ah! You’re such a mean girl! How could you say that your oppa is disgusting? Your saver is an awesome gorgeous man!”

“You’re not my oppa. For all I know, you could be my dongsaeng.” She smirked.

“No way! Have you seen yourself in a mirror? You look like what? 18? I’m 26. Look, I’m growing a beard, you see? No way you’re older than me.” He shook his head in disbelief.

So Min rolled her eyes, amused. “You’re exaggerating. Fine, I can’t be more than 26 years old. But no way, I’m 18. At best, I think I’m about 22.”

“18, 22; what’s the difference? You’re still younger! Which means, Minnie, that you have to respect me. Now, try it. Say: ‘You’re right and I’m sorry Oppa!’ Come on, say it!”

“In your wildest dreams.”

“Ha! You wish you were! Unfortunately for you, only Lee Hyori is in it. But don’t be sad, I still like you very very much.”  He winked and laughed.

 She snorted at his silliness.

“Okay, let’s get back to business. You’re out of here in two days. And I was supposed to go back to Seoul three days ago. So, I was wondering since you don’t know where to go, maybe you could accompany me.” His seriousness returned and he looked at her expectangly.

Startled at the sudden change of conversation, So Min looked at him in wonder. This guy sometimes could really put her off. One moment, he was joking around, the next second after, he would be all serious and business-like. That was kind of unnerving.

“You’re serious?” She asked disbelievingly.

“Of course. I wouldn’t ask you otherwise. So? I’m sure my Hyung and I could help you find a appartment. You could even work with him at his café.”

“And of course, I don’t expect a no for an answer” He said in afterthought.

“Yoo Ah In ah...”

She was terribly touched. This man did not have to look for her and yet he did. He could have walked away that night after he brought her to the hospital. But he didn’t. He continued to visit her and never failed to show up after her wake.

What would have become of her if he wasn’t there?

‘Probably dead’ She thought.

“Well it’s settled then! It’s Wednesday. We’ll leave on Friday early. I’ll call my brother so he can find an appartment.”

With that, he left leatting her struggling with her emotions.

**

The sun was slowly rising, the birds were singing. It was a calm morning, everyone still wrapped in their bed, deeply asleep, the corridors were mostly empty, save for some elders doing their morning walk.

So Min was nervous. She will finally be quitting this place and go back to the real world.

She had made a few friends during this two weeks in the hospital and part of her was sad to leave them but she couldn’t wait to leave. Seeing the nurses and doctors always reminded her that she didn’t really know how she got there and seeing the family of other patients always made her wonder if she still had parents, or siblings. She felt lonely. Of course, Ah In was here for her but that wasn’t the same.

He didn’t know her. Or more accurately, he didn’t know her before. He didn’t know who she was either.

Was there someone out there, in this wild world, looking frantically for her? Missing her?

Hidden in the deepest within her heart, she hoped there was. She wanted to be missed because that would mean that someone of her past would look for her, care for her and know her.

She just ached to know.

She said goodbye to her friends before waiting on the parking lot for Ah In. She only carried a small bag. The books she got from Ah In, some other presents from her friends. Nothing personnal. Even the clothes she wore the night of the accident was thrown away.

Five minutes later, he arrived and got out of the car wearing his trademark big smile. She smiled in return. She couldn’t help it, his smile was contagious.

“Ready to go?”

She nodded.

“Okay, put your bag in the trunk, I have to speak to the doctor for a minute.” He jogged toward the hospital.

She sighed, put her bag in the trunk and sat on the passager side. She looked around, the car was small but very cozy. Attentively observing the dashboard, she press the button to turn on the music. Suddenly, a loud music came.

“...Gee gee gee gee baby baby baby
Gee gee gee gee baby baby baby...”

So Min raised her eyebrow. She didn’t see Ah In as someone enjoying this kind of music. Not that she didn’t enjoy it too.

“Okay, everything is settled. Let’s go!” Ah In opened the door and sat in the car. For a moment, he looked puzzled and then....

“ARGGGGHHH! I swear I don’t listen to this kind of music!” He screamed, as he promptly change the music.

So Min just smirked in amusement. Her eyes twinkled in mischief.

“I didn’t say anything. Many people like it. It’s a popular song. To be honest, I enjoy listening to it too. Don’t worry, your secret love for SNSD is safe with me.”

He looked surprised.

“Oh, how do you know it’s a popular song?” He asked, stupidly.

She rolled her eyes, in exasperation.

“My amnesia is about my identity. I still remember other things... such as music trend or how the president is.”

“Oh right.”

A moment of awkwardness passed. She felt like she returned back to the day she woke up and met Ah In. That was awkward.

Ah In cleared his throat and smirked at her.

“Well, let’s go! Seoul, here we come!”

A/N: Hyun Joong is coming, I promise. Chapter 2 was supposed to be shorter but then that would have meant that Hyun Joong would have appeared later, and I didn't want to so... :D