Memory Lane

Jongin looked at the girl next to her with a sincere look as she calmly breathing on her sleep. It’s been a hard six months for him. Six months ago, they did not knowing each other and that’s the first time he saw her. They met by random fate and now, he should accept that this particular girl filled his days and nights.

Her name was Soojung. Their first meeting was at the mountainous area at one dark night in the winter. He was driving alone from his family villa, where he spent the rest of the weekend there. Lazing around, spacing out, while enjoying the fresh air to clear up his messy mind. He was stressed out, before he started to join the company where he applied to be a trainee.

He didn’t want to follow his family pattern, all about being a doctor or businessman. He wanted his life, his love for engineering. And knowing that he’s finally accepted at one of the best machinery company, Jongin couldn’t hide his excitement. But of course, his family was kind of not supporting that. They prefer him to be a businessman, inherit his father’s department store. But Jongin couldn’t be a part of the business, for his heart was into engineering, his first love.

He was driving cautiously, for the area was known to be dangerous for night travel. There’s a car in front of his, a white SUV. He kept a safe distant between his cars with the one on the front. It was only them who drove at 10 that night. It was really cold and Jongin felt thankful that he borrowed his brother car instead using his own, or else, he could be frozen to death by that time.

Jongin noticed that the road was too slippery and there’s not much light on the area. It could be dangerous, because he couldn’t clearly see the car that was coming from opposite direction at that road. But it’s empty now, so he felt a bit at ease as he continued driving. He yawned several times, indicating that he was sleepy and all he wanted was the warm bed at his room. And it hit him just like that.

A big truck coming from the opposite direction, driving pretty fast. He didn’t notice it at first, because it was so dark and the light from the truck was not clearly seen. Once he saw it, he knew that the truck was driving in high speed but he thought the truck should be aware of the presence of two cars in the opposite. Turned out, the truck lost its control due to the slippery road. The driver, with his shocked face tried to stop the car by pressing his feet to the brake but it didn’t stop the back part of the truck to block the road and immediately hit the SUV in front of Jongin’s car.

Jongin couldn’t process the things that happened next. He was kind of feeling blinded by the light and his body felt like floating. He saw a random memories; his father, his mother, their family, his graduation, his junior high school time, the first time he went to elementary school, the little him that’s crying in the kindergarten. Everything flashed and Jongin didn’t know why he suddenly saw those kinds of things. But in seconds, everything changed. As he closed his eyes tightly, he felt something big and hard hit him and after that, everything turned in silent. Jongin slowly opened his eyes and the things he saw scared him.

The truck was toppled on the road with all of its content spoiled, packs of flours coloring the road as white as the snow. Jongin car hit the wall of the road, the front part of the car was totally broken and he could smell blood coming around him. He slowly touched his forehead and found that his fingers were covered with fresh blood. His body felt so weak and he need time to adjust to the situation around him. Jongin’s hands and legs were badly injured; he barely felt his legs though. But he still thanked God, because in mere inches, he might get in to the valley and never open his eyes anymore.

He closed his eyes again, tried to regain his energy. The glasses in the car were broken and shattered, giving him a cut on his cheek in the process. He needed to call someone, but at a time like this, he couldn’t find his phone. It must have been somewhere around the car as it hit the wall pretty hard. Jongin breathed heavily, he couldn’t think and slowly losing his control over his body. He opened the door with so much effort and started to hear voices, probably the driver of the truck because he’s yelling about the flour that’s fell. He made his body falling to the road and slowly started to stand up.

He was dizzy and it’s hard to walk, but at least he tried. He need to go to the driver and asked him to call the police or ambulance. But then, he heard a moan and sounds of movement. Jongin stopped walking and turned around. He saw the SUV was flipped on the road, with the top part placed in the bottom. He sensed that the passengers of the car might need help, so he walked to the car. Jongin started to hear a sound of someone’s hard breath.

“Hello? Anybody there?” he asked with his hoarse voice. He just realized that he felt thirsty and his throat was all dry. “Hello?”

Jongin saw a movement from the back of the car. With his limp feet, he walked there, ignoring the blood on his forehead. And when he turned around, things were pretty messy there. Too much blood on the car, it colored the SUV and even the glasses stained red. Jongin held the need to throw up upon the red scene in front of him. And there he saw her, all shaky and nervous.

“Hey, Miss. Are you-” Jongin stopped talking as the blood smell suddenly felt so strong. “Are you okay, Miss?”

Well of course she’s not, he cursed himself. But he didn’t know what to ask other than that so he slowly approached her while softly asking her condition. Was she driving alone?

She shook her head and started sobbing and processed to crying. And he’s clueless to that. Jongin was never good with baby or pet or girl. And now, there’s a girl crying in front of him. He’s totally had no idea on what to do. She mumbled some words, but he couldn’t hear it clearly. He kneeled across her, and there he realized how bad her condition was. She got a long cut on her forehead and her body couldn’t stop shaking, blood was seen from her right arm and legs, but all she did was mumbling.

“Miss, what are you saying?” Jongin asked her; a bit loud, afraid she couldn’t hear his voice. She always looked down and never lifted up her chin. Jongin moved closer to her and slowly touched both of her shoulder. She shuddered from the sudden touch but then she finally looked at his direction. She’s totally looked like a lost puppy and all he could do was staring at her in sympathy.

“Taem… Taemin…” she sobbed as tears flowing down her cheeks and her face reddened, due to the heat from her tears and also from the blood. Jongin had no idea but Taemin sounded like a name for him. And as she slowly crying while calling that name, Jongin volunteered his arm to be hugged by her as he looked around.  She tightly held his arm while crying and sobbing, kept calling the word “Taemin”. Across the road, there lying a body. Somehow Jongin had a feeling, that’s the Taemin that she had been calling for but before Jongin could come and check the body, the girl lost her conscious and fell on his lap.

Not too long after that, ambulance and police came for them. He didn’t realized on how he kept the girl along with him while the ambulance brought the body that was lying on the road. All he could do was checking on the police and confirmed that the body was lifeless. Jongin had no idea, his path and her path, collided that night.

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Jongin was all about being tired and weak, with his arm wrapped and his head covered with stitches, but he managed to sit next to the girl’s bed. Based on her identity card, he knew her name, Jung Soojung. She’s 21 years old and that makes him a year older than her. She was sleeping deeply, despite the bruises and stitches she got from the operation earlier. Jongin noticed that sometimes, she would scrunch up her face and mumbling sometimes. But then she will just continue sleeping with a light breath. He didn’t realize that he had been sitting there the past 8 hours, forgetting the fact that he was actually need sleep also.

The door was suddenly opened and Jongin found the doctor that he knew, Dr. Lee Donghae, entered the room along with another two persons, a blonde girl who has a similar feature with Jung Soojung and a tall guy in suit. Both covered in big warm jacket as the weather was really cold at the end of winter. Jongin awkwardly stood up and nodded to all of them, fixing his own jacket that covered his shoulder.

“Soojung!” the blonde girl half yelled, once she saw the girl on the bed. Jongin noticed that they two looked a bit alike, while the tall guy stayed with Dr. Lee discussing about the accident and yet, no one noticed his presence. The blonde girl caressed Soojung’s face and started to cry because Soojung didn’t move a bit. As she cried, she looked at Jongin’s direction.

Without being asked, Jongin explained to her about his presence there. “I’m Kim Jongin. I was the victim of the accident also. I…met her there. Our cars were placed quite near. But don’t worry, she’s well already and she had been sleeping in a good condition after the operation”

The blonde girl nodded and softly said thanks to him. “She’s my only sister. I-I have no idea if I lost her. I me-mean…” the blonde stopped talking, wiping her tears. Jongin nodded in understanding.

“Take your time, Miss” he replied.

Jongin looked at Dr. Lee and the tall guy. He thought that he’d just need to greet them and leave peacefully. His role ended here as Soojung temporary guardian. He planned to bid a goodbye to the girl who was lying weakly on the bed but then he thought he was just going a good deed and no goodbye needed. Jongin felt like about to go outside the room, but then…

“Taemin”

A weak voice was hear and everyone in the room stopped whatever they doing, especially when Jongin felt the back of his cardigan was hold tightly by a hand. He turned around and found that Soojung was opening her eyes. In sensed, Dr. Lee walked to her along with the tall guy.

“Soojung?” the blonde girl called her. Jongin noticed that Soojung smiled towards her, she looked at him deeply. And at that time, Jongin somehow felt awkward towards her. They were never talking normally previously, for she kept crying and sobbing while he was bearing the pain all over his body.

“Where are you going?” she asked Jongin, making not only him but all the people there surprised.

“Soojung, are you feeling okay?” Dr. Lee butted in, walking closer to her. He was preparing his stethoscope, getting ready to check her condition. Jongin stayed there, watching.

“A bit better, but why my legs felt so numb?” she replied weakly.

“It must be the anesthesia. In a while, you’ll feel better. Let me check you first” he said as he touched her forehead.

“Taem, are you okay?” she asked Jongin, looking at him softly.

Jongin sensed something was wrong in her words. He looked around and found the blonde girl and the tall guy widened their eyes and exchanged stare with him.

“Erm, Soojung” The tall guy called her. “Honey, about Taemin…”

“What happened?” she responded to the tall guy, but he just cleared his throat and couldn’t say anything. Jongin fully understood the tall guy position; how should they tell her that the Taemin guy that she kept calling was already dead, in her current state like this.

“Taemin, what happened to you?” again, everyone looked at Jongin once Soojung called him as ‘Taemin’. In all dizziness, Jongin totally didn’t know what to respond or what to tell. What is wrong with this girl?

Dr. Lee sensed something was not right so he jumped in the conversation. “Soojung, uhm... who is this?” he asked her, pointing the blonde girl.

“It’s Sooyeon unnie” she answered and the blonde girl felt a bit relieve that her younger sister recognized her.

“How about him?” Dr. Lee appointed to the tall guy.

“Yunho oppa of course” she replied, a bit frowning and confused towards the question.

“You do know me, right?”

She nodded. “Donghae oppa. Or, Doctor Lee whenever you’re in charge in the hospital. What’s wrong, Oppa?”

Doctor Lee touched his chin and getting ready for his final question.

“And this guy here… Who is he?”

Jongin looked at her direction, just to make sure that she didn’t know him, because…they’re not.

“Taemin”

The room filled with silence. The four of them exchanged stare and Soojung was just lying there, clueless about her condition. Jongin stared at her, but all she did was smiling softly to him. He thought he was just doing a good deed, he thought that he was just a passerby who happened to help her. But all of his thought was wrong and as he saw her beamed upon his presence, he somehow sensed that their path will still be crossing.

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