I walked slowly through the large, iron gates, along the winding paved road. Shielding my eyes from the glaring sun, I clutched my flower bouquet tighter, and took a deep breath.

I closed my eyes, trying to find the courage to continue walking. I’ve never been here. Not since that day…not since…ever…

It reminded me of pain. It reminded me of fear. It reminded me of losing someone forever.

His name, his existence, constantly lingered in my mind. It hurt, yet, I didn’t want to forget him.

He was a sick obsession. He had been my everything. I couldn’t bring myself to banish him from my mind, my life. Seeing the things he owned, the things he gave me, the things that were remnants of our love brought me an indescribable burning in my heart, but I couldn’t let them go.

I wanted everything that was his. I wanted his presence to surround me. Even if he wasn’t with me anymore, I wanted to assure myself that he existed. I wanted to assure myself that our days together were not just a dream, an illusion made up by me.

I wanted to assure myself that he loved me.

Every single day, I would be in my room, going over the numerous cards he wrote to me. Every single day, I would listen to the songs he sang and recorded for me. Every single day, I would gaze at our photographs.

One day, they all disappeared. The cards were gone. The mp3 filled with his songs were gone. The photographs were gone.

Everything of his was gone.

I screamed, running out of my room, digging through the trashcan like a madwoman. I turned to my parents with red eyes, b with hot tears, shouting at them incomprehensible words.

They looked at me with cold eyes, unfeeling and un-understanding. They told me to get over him. They told me he wasn’t worth my time. They told me he was gone and he was never coming back. They said it was time to move on with life.

They said it was time to forget about him.

He wasn’t gone. He can’t be. I still remembered him. If I still remembered him, then he was still here. Still with me.

But time was passing. He was beginning to slip out of my memories, my grasp. I found myself being unable to remember his face, his voice, his touch.

I tried to recall his smile, the way it reached his eyes. I tried to recall his laugh, how it always made me feel happy and laugh along. I tried to recall his hands brushing against mine, as he took mine in his, holding it as if we would never part. I tried to recall his voice murmuring my name, telling me that he loved me. I tried to recall everything of his, but I couldn’t.

All my recollections of him were blurry. They flickered as I pulled them from the depths of my mind. They faded away as quickly as they appeared.

I went to every place that reminded me of him, but I couldn’t feel anything. I couldn’t remember what we did there, why we went there, what happened there.

I couldn’t remember anything.

That’s why I came here, the last place that held a part of him.

With a shaky intake of air, I stopped walking. I was facing a tombstone.

My chest tightened as I saw his name etched on the dark marble. I began gasping for breath, trying to get rid of the suffocating feeling. I fell to my knees, clutching at my chest.

I raised my eyes, and frantically trailed my hand across the cool stone, wanting to touch a part of him.

“Myungsoo-ah,” I whispered, tears choking me.

“I-I can’t remember anything, anymore. I can’t remember you, the time we spent together, the places we went, the words we said to each other. I can’t remember any of that…”

My tears blurred my sight and my words took on a more furious tone.

“Why did you leave? Why did you have to abandon me? Do you think I’m happy? I’m not happy at al!! Do you know what people think of me?”

I took a deep breath.

“They think I’m crazy for trying to hold onto you. My parents keep trying to talk me into going to a psychologist. My friends never mention you in front me. I can’t live like this anymore!

I can’t live in a world without you. I can’t live without knowing that our love was real. I can’t live with people around me moving on with life, forgetting about you.

You told me you wanted me to be happy. You promised that you’ll do anything to make me happy. What’s wrong with you? Why didn’t you keep your promise? I can’t be happy without you… I thought you knew that…”

My voice trailed off. I realized that I was spouting nonsense, that my words weren’t connected in any way. I lowered my head, staring blurrily at the grass.

The sun had disappeared. The blue sky was replaced with dark, ominous grey clouds. Thunder rumbled, but I didn’t care.

Suddenly, the sky broke out crying. Rain fell harder than ever, drowning out all other sounds. Water drops pounded against my back, soaking me to the core, but I stayed where I was, gripping the wet tombstone. The flower bouquet laid pitifully by my side, forgotten.

I began to laugh bitterly.

I wanted you to be happy. I truly did.

I froze.

Don’t do this to yourself, Eunmi.

I opened my mouth, trying to bring myself to utter those few words.

“M-myungsoo?” I whispered, hardly daring to believe it. I held my breath as I waited impatiently for the voice to speak again.

Eunmi-ah, it’s been a while.

“Myungsoo!” I exclaimed, getting to my feet immediately. “Where are you?” I whipped around hysterically, ignoring the water drops splashing my face.

I’m right here.

“Myungsoo! I-I… Come back! Can’t you come back?” I screamed hoarsely to the pouring rain. I couldn’t see him anywhere, but I felt his presence.

Eunmi, forget me, won’t you?

“NO!” I cried, feeling fresh tears staining my cheeks. Why didn’t he understand? I thought he, of all people, would understand why I can’t let him go.

It’s for the better.

“No… no…” I whispered. “I-I can’t. I can’t live without you.”

I’m sorry to leave you all alone.

I nodded. “You should be.”

To others, I may have looked extremely foolish, standing in the rain and talking to nobody. But the fact that Myungsoo was with me was all that mattered. I didn’t care if he was just a fragment of my imagination my deranged mind made up.

He felt real.

“I want to be with you…” I said softly. “I…I don’t want to be alone anymore. Maybe I should just-“

Eunmi.

His voice sounded urgent, and I smiled. I could just barely remember his worried face, his eyebrows furrowing as he frowned.

Don’t even think about it.

“Think about what?” I said in a teasing tone, enjoying his attention. It was a feeling I hadn’t felt in a long time.

Just don’t do anything stupid. Keep on living.

My smile slipped from my face. “But… it’s hard,” I muttered, looking down.

I know it is. But, do it for me.

“Why should I?” I asked harshly. “You broke your promise. You left me alone. Why should I do anything foryou?”

…I know…that it’s hard for you.

“No kidding,” I said with a scoff.

 But don’t you want me to be happy too? I… can’t rest in peace if I didn’t know you were happy.

I gave a bitter chuckle. “I want you to be happy, but if that’s the only way, then it’s impossible. I told you already, without you, I can’t be happy,” I repeated.

Eunmi, we’ll meet each other again. I promise.

I softened. “But… you broke your promise once already,” I said in a low voice. “How can I trust you again?”

Suddenly, a small light orb appeared in front of me. The soft brightness began to grow. I stepped back in shock as the love of my life gazed at me.

“M-myungsoo…” I stuttered.

“Why are you so surprised?” He asked.

“I-it’s really you….” I looked at him in awe.

“What did you think? I was talking to you, wasn’t I?”

“I thought…I thought I was crazy. I thought I was imagining things,” I admitted.

He smiled. “Well, now you know you aren’t.”

I moved closer to him, reaching towards him. My eyes widened as my fingertips made contact with him.

He was solid, but at the same time, wasn’t. I could feel that he was there, but it didn’t feel real. He didn’t have the same feeling as a human. I could touch him, but at the same time, it was as if I couldn’t.

He took my hand in his. It felt like the wind caressing my fingers.

“Eunmi, trust me. This is a promise I won’t break,” he said softly.

I gazed into his eyes. They were sincere. They were sad. They were his eyes.

Suddenly, I could remember everything. Our entire past. And this time, I knew I wouldn’t forget it.

I nodded furiously. “I trust you, Myungsoo. I trust you. But I won’t forget you.”

He frowned.

I took a deep breath and continued. “I won’t forget you, but I’ll live life again. I-I won’t be the wreck I am right now. I’ll be who I was before, but I won’t forget you,” I said firmly.

He smiled again. “That’s enough.” He leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek. “Next time we meet, it’ll be forever,” he whispered.

He pulled back for a second, looked at me with an indescribable expression, before kissing me softly on the lips.

“Bye, Eunmi. I’ll see you in eternity.”

---

“Yeobo…what do we do?” A middle-aged woman asked, clinging onto her husband while gazing sadly at her daughter.

Her husband shook his head. “Let’s…just let her be…”

“We can’t do that! She’s our daughter!” She exclaimed.

He looked at her with a tired expression. He seemed to be tired of everything. Even life. “But look at her. The only thing keeping her living is that boy…”

Their daughter was sitting on her bed, holding a torn photograph, smiling and talking to herself. She stopped her mumbling abruptly and her eyes widened. She stood up, and her parents rushed to her side, alarmed.

Her eyes filled with tears and she fell to the ground, weeping uncontrollably.

“Myungsoo…. Myungsoo….” She chanted over and over again in a shaky voice.

Her father wrapped her in his arms and rocked her slowly to sleep, still crying.

“Just go to sleep,” he said softly to his wife. “I’ll stay with her for the night.”

She smiled and shook her head. “I want to be with her too. Don’t worry, I’m sure she’ll get better.”

He looked down at his daughter’s sleeping face and brushed her hair away from her eyes. “I truly hope so.”

Eunmi woke up with her parents sitting by her bed, asleep. She smiled as she stretched, ready to wake them up. She stopped as her eyes fell on a photograph sitting on her bed side table. She picked it up and smiled, her eyes sweeping over a young man’s figure.

“Eunmi? Are you awake?”

Her mother’s voice interrupted her thoughts and she looked at her. She was rubbing her eyes and shaking her head, trying to wake herself up.

“Good morning, mother.”

“Good morning…” She muttered sleepily. Suddenly, she was all awake and blinking at her daughter.

“D-did…did you just say ‘good morning’?” She asked in a loud voice.

“Hmm… what?” Her husband asked, also waking up. “Did something happen?”

“Yeobo! Eunmi just bid me good morning!” She said excitedly, tugging on his sleeve.

He turned to his daughter with wide eyes. “Really?”

Eunmi smiled. “Good morning, umma, appa. I missed you guys. Don't worry. I'm back to normal now.”

Without another word, she was engulfed in a big bear hug from her parents.

Kim Myungsoo, I kept my promise. You better have kept yours too. I’ll see you in eternity.