2 years ago

Yonghwa is 16.

A pretty girl with braided brown hair down her back turns and smiles at Yonghwa.

Yonghwa's face brightens, and he starts running twoard the girl.

"Junhee!" Yonghwa yells.

They wrap themselves in a hug as a few grown ups around stare at them, thinking it's too young for them to date.

Yonghwa finally lets go, and starts talking rapidly.

"I missed you, this is gonna be the best year ever."  He chatters away as they walk toward the school.

"What did you do during your vacation?" Junhee asks, as they swing their clapsed hands back and forth.

"Stayed home and studied."

"Haha, I knew the smartest kid in our class will study during vacation."

Yonghwa scratched his head and smiled sheepishly.

Junhee stares at the watch on her wrist.

"Oh! We're gonna be late!" Junhee starts dragging Yonghwa through the crowd to reach the gate.

'"Junhee! Aah!" Yonghwa fell down as they were crossing the last sidewalk.

"Yonghwa!" Junhee kneeled down.

"It's okay! I can keep going." Yonghwa tried to stand, but failed.

Junhee stood up and got Yonghwa on her back. Yonghwa threw his arm around Junhee.

"It's gonna be okay," Junhee said, and she started running back the way they came.

"What? What about school?" Yonghwa protested.

"We need to get you to a hospital! You're bleeding like crazy!"

"It's just a fall!"

"Tell that to the bone sticking out from your leg."

"I can manage! I don't need to go to the-"

Yonghwa stopped talking. 

Junhee's lips touched his, and when they pulled away, Yonghwa smiled.

"I'm guessing you want me to shut up?"

Junhee laughed brightly.

"Yeah, idiot. Come on, you need to go right away."

When they reached the hospital, Yonghwa was taken into a Xray room.

The doctor shook Junhee's hand. "Thank you for bringing him here."

"No biggie. But I need to get back to school..."

"Of course, I'll write you a note."

The doctor scribble something on the paper.

Junhee just leaned over and kissed Yonghwa.

He smiled at her. "Thanks. Turns out it's a broken leg."

"Stay safe, bozo."

"You too."

Junhee was going to turn and go away, but she paused.

"I love you," Junhee said softly.

"Me more than you." Yonghwa said.

It was almost a joke now, replying a simple I love you with something else.

"No, I love you more." Junhee smiled playfully, and knowing their choding fight will never end if she didn't go, she turned, took the note and left.

Yonghwa stared as she walked out of the room.

"Is she your girlfriend?"

"Yeah..." Yonghwa said.

He lied there without saying a word, just thinking, when he got a tingle.

He sat up uneasily.

Then a girl screamed from downstairs, and there was a thud as a car hit something.

"Junhee!"

Yonghwa attempted to run to her, but he fell down.

The doctor rushed to his side. "Yonghwa!"

"Junhee...she's down there..." Yonghwa said.

The doctor nodded. "The nurses are getting her. It was a car accident."

"Who did it?"

"We... we don't know.."

Suddenly, the nurse ran in with someone on a stretcher.

Her braided hair loose around her face and her feautures unrecognizable.

"Junhee! Wake up!" Yonghwa limped over to her side.

"Junhee, it's me! Yonghwa! Come on!"

Junhee didn't answer.

"You promised we could go to the ice cream shop after school!"

No reply.

"Junhee! I love you! Say you love me more! Say it!" Yonghwa shook Junhee's bloody face.

The nurse pulled him away. "Stay back!"

They rolled the stretcher away from Yonghwa. 

Yonghwa struggled against the nurse.

"Junhee!" He yelled desperately.

Still, no answer came.

Yonghwa wore a black suit and combed his hair to stick up.

Junhee's picture smiled on the table and the coffin was under it.

Yonghwa started crying, and his father slapped him on the back.

"Try to keep it together," he said, but he didn't even sound like he meant it.

Yonghwa chocked back a sob and put down the blue forget me not on the table.

"I won't forget you," Yonghwa said.

He took his seat, and buried his face in his arms.

"Yonghwa, you're gonna get over it."

Then, another girl walked into the room,  holding a forget me not.

Yonghwa stared at the girl.

Pretty black hair tied in a ponytail down her back. She wasn't smiling, but if she did, it would be Junhee's innocent smile.

"Who's that?" Yonghwa asked his mother.

Yonghwa's mom looked surprised. "That's our neighbor. Seo JooHyun. I think she's the same age as you."

She continued to chatter.

Seohyun was a A plus student who liked the piano.

So much in common...

Yonghwa tuned rest of what his mom was saying.

A replacement.

Not a very good one, but a replacement.

That was the only reason Yonghwa was interested in Seohyun.

But as he got to know her more... he started to really like her.

Junhee...how would she forgive him? 

He promised her.

Not to forget her.

But... is remembering same thing as loving?