Changmin came back to the apartment half expecting Kyuhyun to be ready to head off. However he was kneeling beside the television screen, playing with the wires plugged in. “What are you doing?” Changmin came over. “You have to leave soon for your watch.”

“I’ll be leaving as soon as I get this working.” Kyuhyun straightened himself up; pondering for a moment. “Hmm I think this should just work.” He put a hand flat on the surface. The screen sparked for a moment before switching off. Changmin glanced at the power symbol, no light was on.
 

“Kyuhyun I don’t think it works on every—“

However a moment later the surface lit up, fuzzing away at first, similar to a show experiencing technical difficulties. Kyuhyun stepped back, eyebrows furrowed.
“This shouldn’t usually happen, how weird.”

“What do you mean?”

“Take a look and see.” The buzzing black and white faded to a scene in grey scale scheme. A girl lay on the grass. Her dress made of a light fabric with braided straps flowed behind her. With closed eyes she lay awkwardly, her head its side, lying on her stomach.

“I-is that?”

“Wait a moment,” he was interrupted. Her eyes opened and she sat up. Changmin was in shock. The girl glanced around, worry and fear clouding her face. Nothing about her appeared to have chance since he had last seen her. Except her hair was longer and had more volume.  

“Hello, where are you?” She kept calling and calling, saying similar things over and over; the urgency in her tone increasing as the minutes ticked by.

“That’s Joohyun.”

Kyuhyun glanced at the screen. “There’s more,” the girl started crying and caught the attention of a couple walking along. They knelt beside her, hands on her shoulder, wiping her tears.
“What’s wrong dear? Are you lost?”

“Those are her parents,” Changmin stated, interested. “So they found her. Found her all alone in the middle of nowhere.” The scene rippled into another where the couple was talking to a man dressed in a uniform.

Attached to his belt was a black club and a pair of handcuffs. The scene expanded to reveal posters on the wall of ‘Missing People’s and brochures on the bench which information on crime safety. Joohyun stood next to the dad, holding her hand tightly.
“So nobody is currently looking for her?”

“I’m afraid not. Nobody has come asking for a girl that matches her description and no orphanages have contacted us regarding a missing girl. If she’s an adult; then it could prove to be difficult to find her guardians because she may be independent.”

The man squeezed Joohyun’s hand. He didn’t like the news but he took it strongly. “I see, thank you very much Officer.” The two bowed before leaving. The man turned to Joohyun as they stood outside the station.
“Well then Joohyun. I don’t see why we should keep searching anymore.” She agreed, her head down though from disappointment. “But you’ve been staying with us for long enough so I think maybe we can adopt you. What do you think?”

Shyly Joohyun nodded and then hugged him, her head against his chest. The man chuckled, patting her on the head. Changmin then realised something.
“She’s shorter here isn’t she?”

“Yes. I’m guessing she wasn’t too young when she came to live with them but not exactly an adult either.”

The scene disappeared like before leading on to the next one. They were all sitting at a table eating. The colours were back with only a few traces of black or white. The mother lifted her head to her husband and Joohyun. “I have some great news for you both.”

Joohyun’s dad leaned in, “do tell my dear,”

“I’m pregnant.” Joohyun’s eyes widened with surprise while her dad got up from her chair and hugged his wife.

“We’re going to have a baby,” he said smiling through happy eyes. Joohyun let out an excited cheer. “I’m going to be a sister.” The mother opened her arms to Joohyun and the three hugged at the dinner table.

Changmin nodded, “so that must have been when Minyoung came about.”

“Indeed, however there’s something that’s bothering me about this. Never before did the beginning of the memories start so fuzzy.” Kyuhyun glanced at the time on the wall. “Oh shoot I have to go.” He placed his hand on the television again which paused the current scene. “I have to go watch Joohyun. You can stay and view the rest of these. I strongly recommend it since she will become your in-law someday.”

“Man Kyuhyun you aren’t going to give it a rest?” Kyuhyun had already gone with the door swinging shut. Changmin sat down, wondering what he should do. He shrugged before standing up. “It may not be but I have nothing better to do.” He helped himself to a blood bag with B minus on the front and sat back down, resuming play.  

~~~

A lot of the scenes had Changmin uninterested. Most of them were repeats of previous memories. A few unique and diverse scenes came up, Joohyun falling over on pavement, hurting her knee. A boy giving her flowers he’d picked from a garden but got scolded as a result. Otherwise it was a rather bland memory reel.

“If he ever uses this to start a business I’ll be the first to give a lousy review.” He grumbled, moving forward to press the screen again. “What good could this possibly be for me to see?”

The scene changed to Joohyun in her room, a book in her hands. Her mother was in the doorway, eyes widened.
“Honey, isn’t that a book for adults?”

“Is it?” She turned it over, looking at the cover. Changmin read ‘1984’ which rang a bell. “I asked the librarian if she knew of anything that would be a challenge and this is what she suggested.”

“So this isn’t just a phase?” Her mother asked, coming into the room. “Aside from all those other old-fashioned stories and the self-help books you borrowed the other month?”

Joohyun shook her head. “No mother. I love reading, you can find out a lot about the world just from a book.” Changmin leaned back in the couch, contemplating what he had just heard. He was reminded of the times he would sit in his room reading.

“I wonder how Kyuhyun felt when he watched this. To see this again would have scared the crap out of him. What's that mother been smoking. Joohyun is an adult here.” Kyuhyun had tried to get Changmin to leave his books at times and go socialise but failed. The break-up with Victoria managed to cause his habit to grow worse.
 

Then came a few scenes of Joohyun playing with Minyoung, who looked to be around three or four years of age. They did normal little girl activities such as playing with dolls, reading and painting on the floor.  Splotches of red, blue and yellow were left on the carpet.

The scenes between the sisters changed to one of Joohyun at a black, grand piano. Her parents along with Minyoung sat in a crowd watching her; behind her hung a deep red curtain and lights hanging on a beam. With a deep breath she placed her hands on the keys and started to play a soft, gentle tune. Changmin watched in amazement as she played, the song flowing like a breeze. And then she started to sing.  

Changmin’s back was stuck straight against the spine of the couch. Her voice, it penetrated his surface like drops of rain. He’d never heard anything like it before. There were vampires back in their realm who could sing but none of them had such an angelic, sweet voice.  

“Dear God,” he murmured as the song finished. The crowd cheered for Joohyun who bowed, showing a small smile. “What a voice, what power; it almost didn’t sound human.” He only just got over the shock to focus on the next set memories. This time they were at home, their parents saying bye to the girls.

“Mum and I are going on a walk. Joohyun-ah, be a good girl and take care of Minyoung when we’re gone ok?”

“I will father,” Joohyun agreed. Their dad lifted up Minyoung and spun her around.

“Tomorrow, daddy’s taking the day off work to buy you a nice birthday cake for my precious Minyoung.”

“Can it have six candles?”

“Of course my dear,” with a kiss on the head they left, the two girls waving them off. Joohyun and Minyoung kept themselves occupied before they fell asleep on the floor. A knock on the door woke them. Changmin felt the back of his neck crawling. There was an ominous feeling about it.

Rubbing her eyes, Joohyun went to the door. Minyoung woke shortly afterwards, blinking blearily from the tiredness. Joohyun opened the door to a policeman, familiar red and blue lights flashing in the background.
“Good evening officer, is everything alright?” She looked around him and then back.

“Are you Seo Joohyun?” She nodded. “I’m sorry to say this but your parents Mr and Mrs Seo have been in an accident. They were found unconscious on the side of a road. We think they were involved in a hit and run accident. They’re in hospital now with serious head injuries and severe blood loss.”

Joohyun’s face fell. She swallowed, fighting the surge of emotions.

“Unnie,” Minyoung came over, still sleepy. “What’s wrong?” The scene then jumped. They were in a hospital room with a surgeon, still in his operating clothes. Minyoung had her head buried against the bed, sobbing. In the bed was the dad, limp, pale, a large gash in the side of his head and his eyes closed.

“I’m so sorry girls.”

A nurse came into the room. “Doctor the mother… She flat-lined during surgery,” she removed her mask. “We tried our best to save her. I’m sorry,” it was then that Joohyun caved in, her eyes starting to tear profusely. Hanging her head she cried to the floor, the nurse putting a hand on her back. The only sound came from the two crying sisters.

Changmin couldn’t take it anymore. He stopped the screen standing to move around. Why was this bothering him? It wasn’t fair that the girls would lose their parents yet he normally wouldn’t care. However it was different this time.

The front door opened. “Oh thank God,” Changmin sighed. “Kyuhyun I hate to say it but Joohyun really has had a messed up life. To be abandoned at a young age and then lose her parents is really sickening. I can’t believe I even watched it.”

“It may seem that way but think of it in a positive manner.” Kyuhyun told him. “When we see Joohyun she’s like a sprite. Nothing glum or sad resonates from her. It goes to show that she doesn’t let her past get the better of her.”

Kyuhyun smiled reassuringly. “But I didn’t expect you to be concerned about her.”

“Hah not by much,” Changmin stated, “after all she is your girlfriend.”

“She isn’t my girlfriend and you can keeping telling yourself but how long will you be able to keep that bluff up?”

Changmin scoffed at this. “If only I was bluffing. On the other hand I should be thankful to you for still thinking I have a shred of humanity still in me.”