“What if, when you wake up, you forget about me?”

Jiyong opened his eyes, looking up at Ae Ra who was letting him lay his head on her lap and gently his scalp. Her face showed nothing but sincerity, but Jiyong also saw uncertainty in those mystery black eyes.

“When I woke up, I didn’t remember anything in my one-month in coma, if there was anything happened. I guess, the same will happen to you.” She continued when Jiyong still did not reply.

“No.” Jiyong reached out to her face. “I won’t forget you, Ae Ra.”

Ae Ra just smiled sadly. Deep down inside, she knew that inevitable result would happen.

“You’re my first love you know.” Ae Ra said, removed her gaze from Jiyong and looked out at the park in front of them. It was a late autumn afternoon, the air started getting colder day by day, signalizing the winter was coming. “I don’t wanna burden you with the world “love”, but I know what I feel.” She felt his hand entwining with her, lacing their fingers together. “I just wish….things were different for you, for us.” She looked at their laced fingers.

“I’ll make it up for you when I wake up.” Jiyong sat up and faced her.

Ae Ra shooked her head. “No, you don’t need to do anything Jiyong.” She embraced him. “I’ve never been happier in my life.” She kissed his cheek and smiled. “It’s like a dream. I’m just afraid to be waken up.”

Jiyong sighed and hugged her tighter, as much as he could, literally, he just wished she could feel it, to know how much precious she was to him. “Our time will come, I promise.”

“You don’t make promises.” She chuckled while laying her chin on his shoulder.

“Yeah….” Jiyong trailed off. “But I can make one for you.”

“Before you…..” Ae Ra spoke slowly, enjoyed that weird feeling everytime Jiyong hugged her. It was not quite a feel, since he could not touch her for real. But, she could feel it, whatever it was. “I didn’t realize how lonely I was. I just….lived as how my life was supposed to be. Sometimes I also thought about relationship and stuff, but I always brushed that off, telling myself Mr. Right would come one day.”

“Am I your Mr. Right then?” Jiyong pulled back, a glint of playfulness displayed in his eyes.

Ae Ra just smiled. For some reason, she thought about what would happen when Jiyong woke up frequently recently. She knew, eventually, he would forget her, about what happened between them , about their time together. She just didn’t know what to do when that happened, since she was so into Jiyong already.

She loved him. Weird, in 26 years of her life, she had not ever had a relationship in her life, so she didn’t have even just an experience to question herself. But she knew what she felt for Jiyong. And it was just so weird, so…. unrealistic. She loved someone who didn’t know her in reality.

Yes, to Ae Ra, this was the world where Jiyong and Ae Ra existed, a dream. Outside this world, Kwon Jiyong didn’t know Shin Ae Ra, aside the fact that their cars crashed to the other’s. Outside this world, she was just a weirdo who constantly talked to herself, chuckled to herself, and spending time doing silly things like keeping visiting the other driver in her accident in his hospital, in hoping for something, since he was a superstar. Outside this world, Shin Ae Ra was just a loner, a workaholic, a boring girl who lived a quiet life.

Ae Ra noticed Jiyong’s worried eyes boring to hers. Swiftly, she pecked his lips. “Thank you, for being here with me.” She whispered in his ears.

___

“Unnie, are you in any relationship now?”

Ae Ra smiled at her sister’s question. That kid’s sense was something, really. She glanced at the balcony where Jiyong was standing, looking out at the busy Seoul night. He subtly went outside leaving her privacy when Ae Ra said her sister was calling her.

“Unnie, are you listening?” Nara’s high pitch voice could be heard clearly at the other line, regardless wherever she was right now. “Oh my God! Don’t say you’re next to him while talking with me!” Her sister gasped audibly, making Ae Ra laugh.

“Not really.” She chuckled and cleared , admitted the truth.

“It is true then?” Nara shouted. “I knew it! You talk more recently! You even didn’t scold me when I said I would stay in Switzerland one more month! You…” Her noisy sister went on little tiny details she noticed that changed in Ae Ra recently, with Ae Ra herself doubted if she had changed anything at all to be honest.

“Quiet down, noisy kid.” Ae Ra scolded softly. “Why so all worked up?” She chuckled again. “Is your sister that pathetic?”

“Who is he? Where did you meet him? What do he do? How old is he?” Ae Ra winced at Nara’s rant. Seriously, who was the elder here.

“When will you come here?” She ignored all Nara’s questions, went on the next important news. “Getting tired of Germany yet?”

“Don’t change the topic!” Nara laughed. “I was about to ask…”

“Come here then I’ll let you know.” Ae Ra shrugged. It’s not like Nara would magically appear in Korea now, when last time she talked with her, the kid was in Australia, and that was just 2 days ago.

“Ok, tomorrow then.” Nara said wickedly.

“W-what?” Ae Ra said in bewilderment.

“I’m in Japan now, unnie.” Nara laughed. “Having some things to take care of before taking the plane to Seoul tomorrow!” Again, Nara shouted excitedly over the phone. “I miss you so much! Cannot wait to see you! Ah, remember tell your boyfriend to prepare to meet me soon.”

“Huh?” Ae Ra was thrown backward because of shock. “Are you serious? Yah, don’t joke with unnie.”

“Who said I joked?” She could sense Nara’s frown at the other line. “Give me your address, I’ll go by myself tomorrow, you don’t need to pick me up.” That was her Nara, always independent.

“Silly. I’ll come and get you kid.” She grinned. It’s been 2 years for heaven’s sake.

“Nah. What if something happens and you can’t come? I don’t wanna be lost. Just gimme the address.” Her sister argued.

“Fine.” Ae Ra sighed and read her address. She always lost to Nara. “At least tell me the flight, I’ll try to make it if I can.”

“I don’t know yet.” The kid said carelessly. “It’s true that I’m in Japan now, but I didn’t plan on going to Seoul except just now. I’ll start looking for tickets now.” She tsked. “Your boyfriend makes me curious.”

“What?” Ae Ra was shocked again. “YAH SHIN NARA!” She yelled.

Nara giggled. “Bye unnie, see you tomorrow.” And the kid didn’t even wait for Ae Ra, hung up the phone quickly.

Jiyong raised his brows and re-appeared when he heard Ae Ra’s shout. “What’s wrong? Is everything alright?” He sat down next to her on the bed, observing her carefully.

“That kid, I swear…” She mumbled and shaking her head, chuckling softly. “My sister will be here tomorrow, well, maybe.” She grinned.

____

“What kind of person your sister is?” Jiyong asked. They were at the airport to pick Nara up. The kid was nice enough to inform Ae Ra when she would land Korea.

“She is everything opposite me.” Ae Ra chuckled. “Funny, smart, lovely, noisy, annoying, clingy…”

“You have all those, in a way.” Jiyong smiled at her, making Ae Ra blush and she looked away. Despite how deep their relationship got over time, Ae Ra still wasn’t quite get used to being smitten by Jiyong. And Jiyong knew that, and he enjoyed that little shyness to no end.

“I feel a bit nervous.” Jiyong said, raking his hand through his hair.

Ae Ra chuckled softly, seeing how Jiyong kept going back and forth around her. “It’s just my sister.” She went back looking at the closing glass doors and checked her watch. “I guess she will come out soon.”

“I don’t know why I feel nervous like this too. It’s not like she can see me for real.” He mumbled quietly, still pacing around.

Slightly frowned disapprovingly, Ae Ra shook her head gently. “Stop saying such nonsense things. I’m still considering about letting Nara know about you. We never hide anything from each other.”

“But you are hiding the accident.” Jiyong reminded, which made Ae Ra wince.

“You’re right.” She sighed. “But I also plan on telling that tonight.” Shrugging, she watched as Jiyong stopped pacing and standing next to her. “I’m alright now, she won’t make a fuss about that, I think.” She noticed out of the corner of her eye, that a young couple were looking at her oddly. She just smiled at them. To them, she looked like talking to herself alone.

Jiyong noticed that too, and turned back to look at Ae Ra guiltily, he was about to say something, but quickly held on a stall when he felt dizzy all of sudden.

“Jiyong, are you alright?” Ae Ra asked worriedly. It was like what she was fearing was slowly coming true. “How are you feeling?”

“I d-don’t know.” Jiyong said in a quivering voice. “I feel...odd.” He gripped on the stall tighter. “I never felt like this before.”

To Ae Ra’s fear, Jiyong, again, started to fade away. “D-don’t go.” Ae Ra said hoarsely. “No, I h-haven’t prepared just yet…” Ae Ra started tearing up without realizing, and people started to look at her even more oddly.

“M-meet me at the hospital?” Jiyong tried to smile, ignored the weird feeling he was feeling inside his body. He never felt anything when he was a soul. Not until now.

The last thing he saw was Ae Ra’s tears and her hand reached out for him, timidly but almost desperately, before everything went black to him again.

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In that hospital room, patient Kwon Ji Yong who was in a coma for 11 months had awoken.