Seungho’s POV

“Can you sit up? Huh? Seungho ah~ Seungho~” I felt someone shake me.

I tried to open my eyes but they burn.

“Oh right.” I heard the person say, then something cool wipe across my eyes.

“Better? Can you open your eyes? Or else just open your mouth, and try to sit up, or else you’ll choke.” The person say as she helped me up.

I groaned in pain.

“Lean against me.” She said, letting me lean on her shoulder.

I opened my eyes to see who it was.

“Min… ji?” I called out.

“You still recognize me? That means I did not change much.” She said.

“Minji? Is it really you?” I sat up despite the pain.

“Eh eh~” She held onto me.

“Minji ah~ Minji…” I looked at her, unable to say anything else but call her name.

“I called the ambulance already. They are on their way. So please hang on. Drink this.” She said, shoving a straw into my mouth.

“Am I dreaming? Or am I dead?” I asked.

“You’ve gone mad. Now, drink.” She said.

I drank whatever she asked me to while staring at her face. Minji. She is really my Minji.

I stopped drinking when I felt my stomach felt weird.

“Are you going to vomit? No no no no no! You cannot vomit! Seungho, it is dangerous if you vomit. Please don’t!” She rubbed my back.

But too late. I vomited.

“Seungho!!!” She shouted.

That was the last thing I heard before I out.

***
When I opened my eyes, I was alone in what seems like a hospital room. I was reminded of the time I got abducted by that mad man. Just as I thought I was going to die, I was saved by Minji. That time, I was certain it was someone. But now, I am confused. Was it really Minji? Or was it my own imagination because I yearn so much to see her again?

I tried to sit up by my head hurt, so did my ribs and all the other parts of my body. I turned to look when the door clicked open.

“You’re up.” Minji said, smiling as she walked towards me.

My confusion is clarified. I was not dreaming. It was really Minji.

“Minji…” I called out.

“How are you feeling?” She asked, sitting beside me.

She seemed different from two years ago. She looked healthier, and even put on a little bit of weight. Her dressing and hairstyle is similar as before, but somewhat look better on her now.

“Why do you look so surprise? I’m not a ghost, you know.” She said, holding my hand to press against her own cheek.

“Minji ah~” I held onto her hand tightly, not able to take my eyes off her.

“Why? Do I look weird? Fatter?” She covered her face.

“It’s really you.” I pulled her hand down.

“Two years… Minji ah~” My voice was shaky.

“I’m so sorry, Seungho. I don’t know how to put this, but please know that I did not hide myself from you or anything of that sort. I really… It’s a long story.” She said.

“I…” Before I could start, she cut me off.

“Let me talk first, okay?” She said.

I nodded.

“When I woke up that day, you were not around anymore. None of you were. In fact, I found myself in a totally foreign environment. I don’t know how my father did it, but he took me to France. I bet he didn’t tell you anything about it. To you guys, I was dead, am I right?” She said.

I looked at her.

“I demanded to go back, but he wouldn’t allow it. I had no passport, no money, therefore I could not do much. I had to abide by him. He made me go through therapy. Someone donated his bone marrow to me, and this time, it really worked, Seungho ah.” She smiled.

“It worked?” I asked.

She nodded happily.

“I want to thank him, but I have no idea who he is. All I know that he is male. But I heard that he is dead.” She said with a slight pout.

I am dead?

“After I recovered, I tried to look for you but I think it was my father’s doing because I was totally cut off any contact from you. I could not find you on the internet, I could not see you on TV. Nothing at all. It was as if you never existed. I confronted my dad, of course, and he admitted to it.” She said.

“I realized that arguing with him would do more harm than good that’s why I continued to work as an artist. I have my own little gallery now. Not very big, but enough. The moment I know I could support myself, I came back to look for you. But it’s been two years, Seungho, and things have change. The buses that use to take me to your dorm don’t seem to travel the same route anymore. Blame the technology you love so much, I cannot even remember your phone number because there was no need to!” She said, slapping my thigh.

“I’m sorry.” I smiled.

“I could not even remember Haneul’s number. It’s like… Everything changed. The place that held so much memories feel so foreign now.” She said.

I raised my hand to cup her cheek.

“I am sorry. I left you to cope with our daughter’s death and everything else. I left you to fend for yourself. I… I am so sorry.” She said.

I looked at her, not saying anything.

“I wanted to surprise you at the fan meeting, but I saw news on you admitting to having a daughter. I also saw what the gang of girls did to you. Why are you so stupid, Seungho ah? Why are you always like that? The police station is there for a reason!” She frowned.

“How did you know I was going to meet them?” I asked.

“I followed them because I know you very well. I thought two years would make you smarter, but no, you’re as silly. You just… offer yourself to them like that. It’s like offering yourself to the tigers. You know you’re going to die but you still went ahead.” She said.

“I could not let them hurt Minki, or anyone else.” I said.

“Minki? Your daughter’s name?” She asked.

My daughter? What are you talking about, Minji? She is our daughter.

“Anyway, I’m sorry but I went through your phone. I was trying to find your wife’s number but I couldn’t find it. Give me her number so I can call her and tell her you’re here.” She said, handing me my phone.

Wife? Oh my goodness, Minji~

“I don’t have a wife. I’m not married.” I said.

“Huh? Oh. Not married yet? Then your fiancé?” She asked.

“I don’t have a fiancé.” I said.

“Then whose daughter is that?” She asked, eyes widened.

“You.. you can tell me, you know. I mean… I am not angry or upset. I… Honestly I did not expect you to not get married or something. I mean… you thought I was dead, so it is only normal to move on. I came back today just because… Because I wanted to let you know I am not dead, but I am not expecting anything from you.. I.. I..” She stuttered.

I in a deep breath despite the fact it hurt my ribs.

“I never thought you were dead, Minji ah. I mean, I knew all along. I knew that you’re not dead.” I confessed.

“You what?” She looked at me.

“I knew you were alive all along.” I said, looking into her eyes.

She grabbed her stuff and then walked out. I forced myself up and hurried after her.

“Minji ah! Minji!” I grabbed her hand but she pushed me away, power walking off.

“Minji, please! Please listen! Minji!!” I begged her but she kept walking.

She went into a lift and smirked as the door closed. I stood outside like a fool, watching the lift go down. I snapped back into reality and ran down the stairs. My body protested, but it was not time for me to bother. I ran out of the hospital despite the nurses yelling at me.

“MINJI!!!!!!!!!!!!!” I shouted when I saw her walking down the street, ignoring the stares from the people around.

She saw me, but she kept walking.

I ran as fast as I could to catch up with her. I grabbed onto her and blocked her way.

“Minji… Please… Please listen…” I panted.

She slapped me across my cheek and stared hard at me with teary eyes.

"How could you?" She muttered.

"I'm sorry." I said softly.

"You knew all along and you kept me in the dark!? You just let me believe that it was my fault all along!? Damn you, Yang Seungho! you! Bloody hell! You're worse than a jerk! You are just downright terrible! ing moron!" Minji shouted into my face.

I stood in front of her, looking down.

"How could you do this to me!? Do you know how ing guilty I felt!? How could you!? How in the bloody could you!" She shouted as she cried.

I stretch out my hand to wipe off her tears but she smacked my hand away.

"Don't you dare touch me." She said dangerously.

I kept quiet, knowing that I was not in any position to say anything.

"All these years I lived in guilt thinking that I have let you down. Was it fun for you to watch, hmm?" She said.

"I worried for you everyday. I wondered if you were okay, if you were hurting. All that I could think of was Yang Seungho, Yang Seungho, Yang Seungho. But at the end of the day, I'm just a toy you played with! At the end of the day, while I was feeling guilty, you were watching me like some bloody weekend drama!" She continued to shout at me.

"I hate you, Yang Seungho. From the bottom of my heart, I hate you." She said.

I looked up at her. The tears that I have been keeping in fell without my permission. Never would I have thought it would hurt so much hearing her say that she hate me. 

'I wasn't toying with you." I said.

She smirked and shook her head.

"I love you with all my heart, and I still do." I said.

"Ha! That's like the joke of the century, Yang Seungho." She said.

"Listen...." I pleaded.

"Enough. It's really enough. You say you love me? Alright, then do me a favour." She said.

"What is it?" I asked, feeling a little bit hopeful.

"Pretend that we did not meet today. Wipe off the fact that we met in the abandoned warehouse that day. Forget the fact you knew this person call Minji, and I'll forget the fact I knew this person called Yang Seungho. From now on, you lead your life, and I lead mine. We have never met. We're strangers." She said coldly.

I shook my head and grabbed her hands.

"Please! No! No! Don't do this to me! Please!" I begged.

She pushed me away roughly.

"Don't touch me!" She said, as thou my touch disgusted her.

"Listen to me! Let me explain! I'll tell you everything! Minji, please!!!" I cried.

She looked a little taken aback, but she hid it quickly. She turned and walked off. I ran after her, hugging her from behind.

"Listen to me! Please! Just listen!!!" I cried shamelessly.

"Let go!" She shouted, elbowing me in my chest.

"No! I'm not letting go! Please! Let me explain! Just let me explain!!!" I got down on my knees.

"Get up! You're embarrassing!" She frowned.

"No! I'm not getting up! Please, just give me a chance to explain! Minji ah, please! I beg you!" I hugged her knees.

"No." She said.

She tried to walk off, but I held onto her tight. My knees scrapped against the rough ground, drawing a line of blood as I got dragged along by her, but I could not be bothered.

"STOP IT! GET OFF ME!" She pushed me away and kicked me in my stomach.

"Why are you so cold?" I cried pathetically.

"I'm cold? I'm cold? Yang Seungho, did you just say I'm cold? Then how about yourself!?" She shouted.

"Just go! Just go away!" She said.

Not giving me a chance to speak, she walked off.

"I didn't mean it! I didn't have a choice!" I shouted loud enough for me to hear.

She stopped and turned to me, glaring hard.

"You had a choice, alright? And you chose to let me feel like a fool! Come up with a better excuse, moron." She said.

"You're right, I have a choice. I had two choices in fact." I said, wiping off my tears.

She looked at me.

"I had a choice whether to let you die, or to let you live. And whichever choice I made, the only choice for myself was death." I said.

"What?" She asked, her expression changing from an angry one to a curious one.

"What are you saying?" She asked.

"I'm a dead man, Minji. I died the day I made the choice." I said.

I buried my face in my palms, crying hard as I remembered that day.