Kris didn't know much about Seohyun's past.

Actually,..he barely knew anything at all. He never really had the urge to ask. Judging from the state she was in when he first met her, Kris didn't want to pry. He had a feeling that her pain emanated from something in the past, and for now, putting it as far behind her as possible was the best way to ease that pain. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Seohyun stiffened. That man. He called again! What does he want? Something about his raspy voice extremely frightened her and twisted her stomach into a knot. 

Thank goodness Kris was here. If she had to answer, the vile man would have heard the uneasiness in her voice. "Hey Seo, are you okay?" All Seohyun could do was nod, petrified by fear and distraught with worry.

"Can you take my plate? I'm not feeling hungry anymore." Seohyun gingerly shoved her plate aside. It was still half full.

"Are you sure? You'll be hungry later and its bad to eat late at night." Seohyun shrugged and stood up.

"I think I'm tired, I'll be heading to bed. Thanks for stopping by. See you tomorrow." 

Seohyun had lied, she wasn't a tad bit sleepy at all.

Even if she was,she wouldn't have been able to get much sleep. The worry gnawed at her stomach and made her miserable. Should I call Kris? But I was so rude...and he's probably asleep anyways. But her feelings got the better of her conscience and  Seohyun reached for her phone. Then it hit her, like a splash of ice cold water to the face.

The whole night, Seohyun had been trying to figure out why she felt such fear grip onto her every time the thought of Mr. Park appeared in her mind. Now she knew. She knew the reason. Seohyun felt such fear because he was a link to her past. Mr. Park was a tangible connection to her former self, the one who had parents and a sister. 

Seohyun gasped. It was coming back to her, the memories that she refused to remember. The memories of when she was completely whole, when she was unbroken. Those beautifully warming memories flooded back to her. The reservoir was broken, the one she had built to protect her heart from feeling any pain from reminiscing in the past.

Then a voice came, a rasping horribly nasally voice. He was there. This Mr. Park was in her memories. He was smiling at her and cheerfully conversing with her parents. His greasy hair matted to his forehead and his yellowed fingernails continually grazed against his dirty teeth. Mr. Park was her parent's friend. 

Seohyun could remember. The few days before her parents' mysterious disappearance, Mr. Park constantly visited her home. He would come only during the evenings and stayed late into the night. Mr. Park and her parents talked in rapid, hushed voices and distress was evident in their slurred speech.

Even though Seohyun was already in bed, she could still feel the tension in the air. She remembered hugging little Minjee tight by her side, and patting her little head. "It'll all be okay Minjee-ah, just sleep," she remembered whispering. 

She remembered her mother's bloodshot eyes the day before she disappeared. She remembered tight, rib-crushing bear hugs from her father's shaking arms. She remembered hushed prayers and sweet goodnight kisses. She remembered the irregularity of the days before they vanished. Most of all, she remembered Mr. Park's hideous face, always with a slimy smirk.  

~~~~~~~~~~

Kris sighed into his pillow. Is there something wrong? Why was she so...scared? 

Scared was the least Kris could have said to describe Seohyun. She had seemed horrified. She also had probably lied to him about going to sleep too. 

She's probably in her room, worrying about it by herself. Should I call her? Wait...What if she's actually asleep? Girls are so confusing. Kris' anxiousness won out in the end of his mental tug-of-war and he quickly called Seohyun.

The phone rang three times before there was a soft "Yes?" on the other end. He heard sniffling. Had she been crying?

"Hey, I was just calling to check on you. Seems like you aren't asleep yet." He heard the shuffling of sheets on the other end and Seohyun clearing .

"I'm fin-" but before she could finish, Kris heard sobbing.

Frantic, Kris sat straight up. "Seo? Seo?? Are you okay? Is something the matter."

"I- I- miss--my- mom." he heard her say between hiccups and sobs. This was starting to sound really bad.

"Hold tight. Don't move an inch okay? I'll be right over."