“I’ve known her all my life. She was the classic girl next door. Our parents used to let us run free together. And that’s what happened. We did everything together, and soon were inseparable. But she never saw me as anything more than a brother. It’s such a cliché, our story. But when we hit high school, I was working up the courage to tell her.”

            “But you never did, did you?” Yoona interrupted.

            I turned to look at her. “No,” I answered her softly. “No, I never did. Instead, she met this guy called HyunSoo. He was considered popular, and she fell straight for his act. He always claimed to lover her, but you don’t hurt someone you love. He used to hit her whenever he pleased, and yelled at her, calling her dirty names. I tried to tell her, but she always defended him.

            A few months ago, he ran her over with a car. They had just fought and she tried to come to me. But I pushed her away. I told her to go make up with him. I could have helped her, but I was too mad and I, I let her go. I couldn’t. She ran back to try and stop him from leaving, but he backed the car and hit her. He knew he had hit her and drove off before anyone could catch him.        I couldn’t do anything about it. I stayed with her and watched her bleed as she grasped my hands. She told me to never forget her and to find true love. I wanted to tell her that if she died, I would lose true love. I’ve already found it. For weeks, I stayed by her side and I decided finally to set out on this journey. I need a heart shaped rock, a ballad not about love and silver roses. I already have the rock.”

            When I finished, Yoona’s grandmother had her arms out, waiting to hug me. “You poor child. I knew the moment I set eyes on you on the bus that you were a kind soul. And I was correct. There is no man I know who would go through this. Oh you’re much too young. Let Yoona help you. She’s a music major.”

            I smiled. “Much appreciated. Unfortunately, this is my journey. I want to find it on my own.”

            She nodded in understanding. “At least let her guide you through to the right places please? And you must stay for this night. You look so thin. Are your parents aware of your sojourn?”

            I nodded. “Neh. They don’t say anything about it. But I think they think I’m crazy. But I need to make sure she wakes up and knows that someone is still thinking about her, loving her.”

            Yoona shrugged and went to her computer. A few hours passed with us researching songs and she at last turned to me with a long list. “All of this. If you go check out these, you should be able to find the song you are looking for.” She placed a hand on my shoulder.

            “I hope you find what you are looking for. I think you of all people deserve to be happy. But I don’t see why she’s so special. She never appreciated you.”

            Her grandmother tutted and glanced meaningfully at me. But I merely smiled sadly. “Love is blind to such things. I can’t let her go. If I could, I would have a long time ago. But every time she hurts, I hurt. We’re connected in a way I can’t ever untie myself.”

            She scoffed slightly. But I brushed it off. How could a small town girl ever understand? I lay in their guest room that night and ran my fingers over Coral’s face. Her head was tilted away and her hair shone brilliantly. I remember taking this a few days before she met him, before she lost the smile and before I lost her.

            I placed the photo back down and turned the stone over and over in my hand. Was it worth it to go through all this trouble only to have her reject me? What if she wakes up and doesn’t remember the accident? What if she wakes up and hates me?

            There was a quiet rustle and I turned to see Yoona standing there. “You must really love the girl to go through all this.”

            I nodded. “She honestly was my everything. This is the only fighting chance I have. I can’t lose her. I just can’t. Sometimes I wish I can forget her, sometimes I get so mad at her, I do forget her. But then I remember the things we went through and even what she’s suffering now and I can’t forget her.”

            She crossed the room and sat beside me. “Have you ever thought of moving on?”

            I shook my head. “If I moved on, who would take care of her? Her boyfriend left. She needs to know that love still exists.”

            “Why the ballad?”

            “It was a moment of hate. She wanted to know that the world wasn’t as revolved around love as she thought it was. She hated that love was being bottled up and commercialized and defined. She said love no longer existed. So I’m setting out to prove it to her that it does.”

            “Everything can be an allegory for love. You just have to think of it that way. You can take a children’s rhyme and you will find love. Tell her that it’s everywhere, but not always exploited. Write a song for her.”

            I shook my head. “She doesn’t want that.”

            At this Yoona snorted. “Seems like one easy going girl you have there pal. She’s horrendous. So damn picky.”

            I glared at her. “Don’t you dare criticize her.”

            Yoona looked at me defiantly. “Why not? You know she’s being stupid. Why can’t you write her a song? If you asked me, I would say she’s stringing you along. She knows how you feel but she doesn’t return the feelings. But she doesn’t want to lose you because you’re like a puppy dog. Always following, always shadowing. I know your type. Even if she did wake up and the first thing she sees is you, she would turn right around and ask ‘where’s that boyfriend of mine?’ Don’t waste your time.”

            With that, she walked out, giving me a look filled with disgust. I sat there, trying to not feel the pain of her words. They were true. They were everything I had just been saying to myself. I looked at the stone and placed it back in the bag. I looked at the list Yoona had given me and folded that up.

            Then I took out my guitar. Following Yoona’s advice, I strummed the chords and waited for a song to appear. I sang about the ocean and the loneliness of that wave crashing against the rocks again and again. I sang about the free abandon with which the wind ran its fingers through its watery hair and the life that lived among its caresses. I sang about the stormy sea and the graying sky and all the freedom a wave possessed. Only to lose it as the moon and the tide pulled it back against that rock. Again and again.