“I heard you’re having headache attacks again. Is it getting worse?”

I turned to face the girl lying beside me. I traced the tattoo crawling from her shoulder blade down to her elbow.

“Nothing to worry about, Mina. I was just tired and stressed out lately. We’re behind our schedule for the launching of YG’s new girl group. YG is driving us all crazy.”

Mina caught my gaze. I know she’s looking for the truth behind my reasons.

“What about the flashes of memories? Is it clearer now?”

I never told anyone about the flashes of memories I always have during the headaches except for Mina. I wasn’t comfortable telling any of my family about it. I always felt they were trying to hide something from me.

“I think it’s became more blurry. The more I remember, the more complicated those memories become. I can’t see the connection of those broken memories.”

“Do you want to tell me about it?” Mina pressed on. I took a deep breath before indulging her.

“There’s an old man this time. I can’t see his face, but I know he’s someone with authority. I kept finding myself inside his office. He was laughing at me.”

He’s not just laughing at me. He was mocking me. I didn’t dare tell Mina.

The sound of his laughter makes me sick. Then, I will find myself in the middle of a crowded place. Everything was noisy. There were bright lights everywhere.  When the crowd starts to close in on me, shouting incoherent angry words, the headache will hit me like an arrow.

I felt Mina’s touch on my forearm. She was trying to calm me. I didn’t realize I was gripping the pillow really hard. Mina wiped away the sweat on my forehead. My breathing gradually came back to normal.

I gave her a light peck on her cheek to assure her I’m okay.

I met Mina at the tattoo studio right after I was discharged from the hospital. I wanted to have something to remind me of my second chance in life.

I was waiting for my turn when she came out from the tattoo room. Wearing only bra. Her pants was ped showing the fresh tattoo below her navel.

Right there and then, we became friends. I ended up getting ‘too fast to live too young to die’ on my right shoulder blade. It was her suggestion.

Mina’s personality is the type of “what you see is what you get” attitude. She doesn’t have any inhibitions. She doesn’t care of what people are saying. That’s why we clicked.

And we end up together. Nothing serious. Just plain companionship.

Friends with benefits. That’s what they call our relationship. But, for me, it’s more than that. She’s one of those people that I am willing to risk my life. After the accident, I feel Mina is the only person who is not hiding anything from me.

Everyone seems to be keeping something from me. Including my parents.

It was past midnight when I left Mina's place. It's her prerogative before we started getting intimate with each other. I am not allowed to sleep over at her place. I can't introduce her to my friends as my lover, especially to my parents. To avoid complications, she told me beforehand.

If I ask her to join me at a certain gathering, she would come but along with a different set of friends. We'll just say hi to each other as if she doesn't know me. I didn't dare question her preference. Not to complicate things, she would remind me.

KYAHHHHH!!!

PLEASE DON'T KILL ME MY FRIENDS.

HOLD YOUR HORSES.

EVERYTHING WILL UNFOLD AS TIME GOES ON, KEKEKE!

SO MANY SCENARIOS KEEP POPPING IN MY HEAD.

IT'S BECAUSE ALL OF YOU INSPIRED ME SO MUCH.

REALLY...

I'M SO GRATEFUL!

LOVE LOTS!

KrungHearts