“Sungkyu!!”

                Suzy shouted as she witnessed Sungkyu’s image vanished. And the scene changed so fast.

                She was now facing an adult lady with long black hair and gentle eyes. Beside the lady is a man who’s older than her. The two adults were smiling at Suzy and Suzy knew that she already saw those pure and sweet smiles before. The couple was familiar to Suzy, too.

                She looked at herself and noticed that she was wearing a graduation gown and toga.

                “Are you ready for the grad?” the familiar lady asked, sweetly.

                Suzy remembered almost everything and she already knew that Sungkyu is her best friend because of the flashbacks she encountered. Her lost memories were returning bit by bit. And, she couldn’t understand why Hyuna let her see those memories first instead of killing her instantly.

                “We should go now before we come there late, my dear,” the man spoke, and he walked outside.

                The lady looked back at Suzy and took her hand. “I’m so proud of you, Suzy,” she said, with teary eyes.

                “Thank you,” was the only answer she could say.

                The beautiful lady gave Suzy a kiss on the forehead and she walked outside, too.

                Suzy was about to follow her when she noticed the photos displayed on the walls near the door.

                She paused to take a look at it. And, in the photos, she saw the couple carrying a cute little baby and smiling so sweetly in front of the camera. She wondered who that baby is, but she’s sure that the baby belongs to the couple.

                The next picture shows a girl who looked like a thirteen-year-old and was wearing a school uniform with lots of gold medals hanging on her neck. There were more photos of that girl with tall gold trophies, medals and certificates.

                Suzy looked closer at the girl and got surprised because she looked like the younger version of herself. They have the same color of hair, same smile, and eyes. She also read what’s written on the certificates:

CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION

GIVEN TO

Bae Suzy

FOR BEING THE 1^ST PLACE WINNER IN THE ESSAY WRITING CONTEST, SCIENCE QUEST 2007

                “Bae Suzy?” she whispered, and got extremely shocked when she spotted a picture of herself with Kim Sungkyu.

                Meanwhile, the lady went inside again and called Suzy.

                “Suzy, we should go now,” she said, and held Suzy’s hand.

                “But wait…” she let go of her hand and pointed at the dozens of photos she had with Sungkyu. “Is this…Is this…Kim Sungkyu?” she asked. Her eyes couldn’t get off from Sungkyu’s photos.

                “Suzy, that’s Sungkyu. How could you forget your best friend? Are you excited that’s why you’re like that?” the lady asked, and smiled. “Come. Sungkyu’s waiting at school for you.”

                And they left.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

                Time ran so fast until Suzy found herself sitting in a huge open gymnasium of a school with large number of graduating students around her. She looked at the back and saw supportive parents carrying bouquet of flowers, big gifts and cameras. Everybody is happy and chatting to their seatmates while the speaker in front is speaking.

                After minutes of explaining, the speaker mentioned the honorable students and everyone became quiet, serious and interested because it’s going to be the of the graduation. Suzy faced the front and sat properly to see what’s going to happen next.

                “And the valedictorian of batch 2009-2010 is…” there were chattering and rolling of drums. “Bae Suzy of class 4-A!” the speaker ended.

                Everybody stood up and clapped their hands for Suzy. They were all looking happily at her and some said, “Congratulations!”

                What’s happening right now is really familiar. Suzy thought, as she observed everything.  She, then, stood up from her seat and walked to the stage.

                Fireworks were exhibited above them and victorious music was played to honor the valedictorian of their batch.

                The principal, guest speakers, the adviser of Suzy and the couple she saw a while ago were waiting for her on the stage. As she stepped on the stage, the couple congratulated her and she received lots of certificates and gifts from the people.

                Her face was still innocent of what’s happening around her.

                I never thought that I would be this smart. She told herself.

                “We will let Mr. and Mrs. Bae to give the medals to Bae Suzy,” the speaker spoke.

                Mr. and Mrs. Bae? she wondered.

                The couple walked near to her and the lady gave her a proud kiss on the cheek.

                “Mom? Dad?” she suddenly asked.

                The man patted her shoulder and there were tears forming in his eyes.

                “We’re so proud of you, my daughter,” he told Suzy, and hung the medals on her daughter’s neck.

                Suzy cried because she realized that the couple is her parents.

                “Mom, Dad,” she spoke and hugged her parents.

Memories about her and her parents also came inside her brain that’s why she was sure that those sweet adults were her only parents.

                Unfortunately, headache attacked Suzy because bunch of lost memories continued running to her mind and she couldn’t take it all at the same time; the happy plays she had with Sungkyu while they were children, their group study in Sungkyu’s house, the death of Sungkyu’s parents, the problems they faced together, the unconditional love of her parents, her bonding time with her parents, birthday celebrations she and Sungkyu treasured, and the graduation day.

                Ouch. She walked away from her parents and touched her forehead. She fell on her knees because of the pain in her head.

                Flashes of cameras started to appear in front of them and later, the flashes got brighter and louder which made Suzy close her eyes and cover her ears.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

                After a few seconds, the noise died down.

                Suzy’s face was wet because of tears, and red because of the severe headache she felt.

                She continued to cry and got disappointed because she died in a very young age. What made her more depressed is her innocence of her own death.

                Suddenly, the ground shook and Suzy got scared because she was in a different place again. She found herself sitting beside the running river under the bright full moon. 

END OF CHAPTER 17.