17th October 1997.

“Why can’t a bicycle stand on its own?”

“I don’t know.”

“Because it’s… two-tired.” Krystal cracked up laughing, slamming the ground hard as she does so. “Get it? Too tired?” she laughed, looking at him. He nodded and just chuckled. He liked her laugh.

“Why did Lord Voldemort cross the road?” she asked him again, this time he just shrugged, anticipating yet another lame joke from her.

“I don’t nose!” she laughed again, and this time she was in full tears, laughing at her own corny joke. He couldn’t help but to laugh as well. He liked her jokes, no matter how corny or lame it can get, it always somehow made her laugh.

It was a fun picnic date at the park, she had wind blowing in her hair, and he had his perfectly made sandwich to fill their tummies up, and sashimi too, which was her favourite, even though he was allergic to seafood.

It was a perfect autumn evening, they were kids then.

15 years later.

6^th of December

12:45 p.m

Seoul Private Hospital

Krystal blinked her eyes open, scrunching her nose as her eyes were blinded by the first sunlight that she had ever seen in the past 12 years. She looked around her, feeling unfamiliar. It’s like she couldn’t breathe for a while, because she wasn’t used to it. She wasn’t used to the air, or to the beat of her heart. She placed both her hands on her chest to make sure her heart was really beating.

She glanced at the electrocardiography machine or heart monitor next to her.

78 heartbeat per minute

Which she thought was rather normal. She saw the calendar next to it, and she felt like she couldn’t believe her eyes. It was already 2012.

She tried to remember why she was there in the first place. Then she remembered what happened 12 years ago.

It was her wedding day, the happiest day of her life. She was late, on the way to church and it was raining. Her father was driving the car, and her mother was on the passenger seat. She was sitting at the backseat with her wedding dress, feeling rather excited but mostly nervous.

“Appa, we’re late.”

“I know, dear. We’re almost there. It’s not like Myungsoo is going to run away from the wedding.” Her dad gave a big hearty laughter.

Moments later, the car slipped due to the slippery rain, and the next thing she knew, she was in a deep coma for 12 years.

And for 12 years of coma, she had the same repetitive dream, over and over and over again. The date with Kim Myungsoo, her fiancé that she had 15 years ago.

She stared at her wedding ring for a few moments and thought what happened to Myungsoo.

She remembered the first time she met him. She remembered everything about him. They were classmates. She was talkative and playful, and he preferred to be alone. They shared only one thing in common, their love for books and charity.

It was during their second year of high school when they were appointed to be partners to volunteer for the old folks’ home, and that was when Krystal fell for him. Yes, it was her who fell for him first. The way he talked to the old women at the old folks’ home, making them laugh, it was the first time she saw him talking so much. She felt intrigued and for the first time, she saw him smile.

The door creaked open and Luna, her best friend came in, suddenly Luna’s jaw dropped and she was in verge of tears. “JESSICA.” She screamed. “Oh God….” She said, crying really hard. “EVERYONE…. Krystal is awake.”

Jessica and Luna rushed in the room, straight towards Krystal, holding her hand and telling her how much they missed her.

“Oh my god. Why did you leave me for the past 12 years? I missed you so much.” Jessica said, sobbing profusely. They kept on talking to her, and all she could do was nod. She doesn’t remember how to speak. She doesn’t remember how her voice sounded like.

She cleared , looking at the both of them, “where’s Appa? Eomma?”

Luna and Jessica looked at each other worriedly. Jessica sniffed and sat down next to the bed, looking at Krystal seriously. “…Soojung ah…. Appa… eomma… they died in the accident.”

Krystal looked at her sister, her facial expressions unchanged. Instead of being surprised or confused, or devastated, she only asked; “Why… why didn’t I die with them?”

“The doctor almost gave up on you but we both didn’t, Luna and me. Also, Myungsoo.” Jessica said, her voice shaky mentioning his name.

“Where is he?”

“Work, probably.” Luna said.

“How is he?”

“He is …. Happy.” Luna tried to find the right words. “Yes, happy.”

“Happy?”

“He’s married now, Soojung ah….” Jessica informed. “But he still visits you every night.”

The news had hit her like a thousand bricks, and for a while she thought that her heart had somehow stopped beating. It was like someone stabbed it a couple of times but she woke up to the same pain and she died again. She couldn’t explain how it felt, to feel replaced, to feel rejected.

She was getting tired, so she politely asked both the girls to leave the room, when in fact it was herself that needed to be left alone.

But she didn’t do anything, all she did was lay down, looking outside her window and stared outside... It was snowing.

-----

9:55 PM

6^th of December

Seoul Private Hospital

The sound of the loud creaking door woke her up, she squinted her eyes to see who it was. It was none other than the love of her life, Kim Myungsoo.

108 heartbeat per minute.

She knew this wasn’t normal.

“Oh goodness, did I wake you up?” Kim Myungsoo whispered breathily.

“I was already awake.” Krystal lied. She guessed Luna had already told him about her waking up from her coma, because Myungsoo didn’t seem to be surprised.

“How are you feeling?” he asked.

“Like , thank you very much.” Krystal chuckled.

“Of course.” He scratched the back of his neck, feeling rather foolish for asking that question. He looked around awkwardly before grabbing a chair to sit next to her bed. “And you?” Krystal asked, looking at him.

“I’m okay.” Was all that he said. “I've been reading a book about anti-gravity. It's impossible to put down.” He suddenly laughed.

“Get it, Soojung? Anti-Gravity? Impossible to put down?” He laughed.

“Your jokes , Myungsoo.”

“Okay, okay.” He calmed down. “Tell me one of your jokes, Soojung.”

“Well, I don’t have any jokes right now, but all I can say to you is it’s better for you to date a short girl than not a tall.” She laughed.

“Do you get it?”

Myungsoo nodded while laughing. He missed her jokes. “I miss you, soojung.”

“I heard you visit me every night. Since when did you become such a stalker, pabo?” she raised her eyebrows and asked playfully.

“Yes, I am your ultimate stalker, but I am very disappointed, Jung Soojung.”

“Yah wae?”

“You snore.” He chuckled.

She glared at him, and he laughed harder.

She continued to glare until he stopped laughing, and then they both smiled. They look older, he looked tired and she looked as if she was a dying whale.

“I’m sorry.” Krystal suddenly said, her voice becomes shaky and for the first time, she felt like crying.

“What are you sorry for, Soojung?”

“For being so tardy on our wedding day.” Krystal laughed. “If I weren’t late, we could’ve been happily married with 3 kids by now.”

“Don’t say that.” Myungsoo frowned. “Plus, you’re always late.” He chuckled, remembering how Krystal had never been on time on their dates.

“I miss them.”

“Who?”

“My parents.”

“They’re in a better place.”

“The only thing I didn’t like about them was… well, why does my name have to be Krystal? Why can’t it be sapphire or ruby or diamond? It’s more expensive than crystal.”

Myungsoo laughed at this. Of course. Of course Krystal would be the only person in the whole world to be complaining about her own name.

“I also hate them for leaving me first. I wish I died with them too.”

This made him silent.

 Krystal played with her fingers, trying hard not to cry. “Hey.” Myungsoo mumbled. “I wrote you something, 12 years ago. Want to read it?”

“Of course.” She nodded. She loved his writing, the way he speaks. In fact she loved so many things about him. She loved the way he calls her soojung.

They do love each other very much.

He loved the way she talks,

She loved the way he listens,

He loves her hair.

She loves his lips.

Myungsoo took a small piece of paper from his pocket that he kept for so long and passed it to her.

Jung Soojung.

When we first met, she stared at me for exactly 5 minutes, unblinking. She scanned my face and told me I looked ‘pretty’, yes. She told me I was pretty. But she scrunched her nose and told me, “Your nose is kind of crooked though.”

“It is!” Soojung paused reading and stared at Myungsoo’s nose.

“Keep on reading it, pabo.” Myungsoo laughed.

When we started being friends, we went to the museum together and also watch the stars often. She would say that she wished to be an astronomer and learn about the stars. And then she would tell me; “your face is unsymmetrical.” Only Soojung would think of something like that.

Then we started dating. We started becoming close, and she was comfortable enough to me to be telling me; “Your is lopsided.”

Oh soojung.

We’re getting married soon.

I love her.

And although I have a crooked nose, an unsymmetrical face, or even a lopsided , I knew she loved me too.

I love her. I love the wind blowing in her hair whenever we go out, I love the way the light dances in her eyes when we stare at the stars, I love her voice, I love her words, I love her, and I love her.

Krystal folded the paper back to its original fold and stared at him. She was smiling. “I’m glad you thought of me that way, Myungsoo.”

“Thought? As in… past tense?” He asked.

“You’re married now, aren’t you? Congratulations.”

He nodded. “Ah… that.” He shrugged his shoulders. She hated it when he does that.

“Tell me what she’s like.”

“She’s mostly like you. Except, she prefers writing over reading, she loves to cook, she’s quiet and doesn’t talk a lot, she has a thick busan accent and she doesn’t threaten to kick me every time I see her.”

“Yah.” She widened her eyes. “Want me to kick you? I don’t threaten to kick you whenever I see you!”

“You do!” He pointed. “See you’re doing it again.”

They both started laughing and for a while, it felt like old times again. Then Krystal realized that it was time for her to move on. She felt horrible at that moment, for being so happy. It was like she was ashamed for forgetting about her sadness.

She wished she had hit her head hard enough during the accident so that she could have possibly had amnesia. To forget everything about Kim Myungsoo. It would have been helpful, thank you very much. But no, she still remembers him; she still is in love with him. Even after 12 years of unconsciousness, he still made her smile; he still made her heart skip a beat.

 “I love you.” She said.

There was silence. She knew he couldn’t say it back. The sun was rising and it had already stopped snowing. Tears fell, and she slowly closed her eyes.

6:09 a.m.

7^th December

Seoul Private Hospital

0 heartbeat per minute.