The smell of burned toast filled her nose, twisting her insides and making her flinch. The feeling of nausea came back up for the umpteenth time, but her stomach was as empty as an athlete's water bottle on the end of a spar. She glared at the blackened toast and flung it across the room, crashing a flowerpot in the process. Her breath was ragged and unstable. She fell on her knees and started to cry. Just like every other day since his defilement, she repeated those horrid horrid words.

 

"Seokjin-ah stop stealing my snacks!" The brown haired boy grinned as he popped open a fresh pack of mints. He walked up right next to her and leaned on the countertop.

"What can I say, human food is incredible."

Seoyun rolled her eyes and stuck her tounge out. "Freak."

The boy smiled and gave her a back hug. He rested his head on top of hers and smiled. Seoyun stopped stirring the red substance sitting right there in front of her. A smile crept up her face and her cheeks started to turn pink. For a good minute or two, they shared a moment of serenity, finding peace in each others company. The ringing of a phone then pulled the back into reality. Jin gave her a peck before going out to fetch the phone. Nervously, she turned off the stove and spooned some kimchi soup on top of their rice bowls. Her hands trembled ever so slightly.

It had been three months since they first met. It was a cold winter night and a figure had curled up under a stack of unused boxes by the entrance of her apartment bulding. The poor soul had been sitting there with only a layer of thin clothing, barely enough to keep him warm. Yet, the strangest thing that caught her eyes was how he didn't shiver. Not the least bit. He had a blank stare on his face, soulless and expressionless. He sent chills down her spine that day. He still does.

 

Jin suddenly fell. His groans filled the air as he clutched his throbbing head. Panic flooded over Seoyun. Dropping her sketchbook she ran over to the young man and shook him.

"Jin! Are you okay?"

The boy had been having nightmares the past week. Last night, he had to be cuddled to sleep.

Nodding, Jin slowly tried to get up and regain his balance. Seoyun helped him inside the room and rested him on the bed. Pain was evident in his face. As she was about to leave, his hand shot out to stop her. She turned and looked at him worriedly. Sweat was trailing down his cheek. They looked like tears and that broke her heart.

"Stay."

"I-I have to get medical supplies Jin..."

He shook his head.

"Just stay with me, please."

He pulled her towards him, telling her to lie on the bed with him. He held on to her arm tightly. Warmth radiated from his body as she lay on the bed, looking at him. She rested her head on his chest, feeling safe and comfortable. Jin her hair softly. His hands were soft and delicate, they were comforting and warm. She didn't want to lose him over some stupid fever.

"I'm sorry" he said before drifting off to sleep.

Without her realizing, a tear slid down her cheeks.

"No. I'm sorry."

 

The day after was worse. Jin didn't get any better, his condition went down the drain. His whole body started to burn and it got to the pint where Seoyun thought she could see smoke coming out of his ears. Weird. Not long after, he started blanking out. In the middle of a meal or small talk he would suddenly pause and stayed still. Then he'd be looking around like a lost puppy. It was as if he had lost his memory temporarily.

Earlier, when the accidents had only started, Seoyun tought that he would get better but instead, he got worse by the day. She would tend to him all day only to be forgotten every once in a while. Although it was nothing compared to the schock she got when he first fell down, it hurt her. It hurt her to see him in pain. It hurt her to see him forgetting her. He was becoming a stranger to her as she is to him.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Jin didn't answer.

"Jin? You okay?"

"Oh, uh..." he stammered.

Seoyun sighed and put away the dish she made for Jin. "Go eat, I'm gonna get some fresh air."

She walked out somberly. The sky was clear and the sun's shining bright. The total opposite of how she was feeling that time. Her feet took her to the nearest park. There were kids playing and elders feeding pigeons. Before this, she would be out with Jin, holding hands as they walked down the road. She would look up to him and point at a certain flower. He would have laughed. If it was raining outside, they would be enjoying each other's company in the novel cafe down the road. Seoyun would be sketching the raindrops that sticked to the glass wall while Jin reads a book. Then they would look each other and smile at each other shyly. She missed those times.

As she paced around the park, she found herself stopping in front of a swingset. A small smile made its way to her face. There was a time when she would be out with Jin playing the swingset. Sure, they were adults. She would be the one on the swing, swinging back and forth while Jin pushed her. He never asked her to switch.

Remembering Jin, Seoyun hurriedly ran back to their place. She closed the door behind her quietly, trying not to make sudden noises that would startle him. Creeping back into the room, she found Jin reading a book. She sat next to him and smiled.

"Hey."

Jin looked up and smiled back. "Hi Seoyun."

"How are you feeling?"

"That's a question you ask to sick people."

She coughed. "But you are sick..."

He chuckled. "I guess..."

Placing a wet towel on his forehead, she smiled and stood. "Rest, we'll be visiting the doctor tomorrow."

Too bad she didn't know there'll be a tomorrow.

 

A loud crash woke her from her sleep. Her eyes opened first as she looked at the clock. It was 3 AM, the sound couldn't be coming from the construction taking place next door. Paranoia filled her mind. Darting up, Seoyun rushed towards Jin's room. The door was slightly open. Just as she was about to barge in a voice from inside stopped her.

"This one has done pretty well."

She didn't recognize that voice. There was a stranger in her house.

"Yeah, it's holding out pretty long." another voice said.

"But I guess, it's time for it to go."

It? Seoyun was confused. What were these men talking about?

"Seokjin, I hereby deannounce you."

A buzz resonated from the room and without thinking Seoyun barged in.

"Stop!" she yelled.

The men turned to look at her. She was dressed in a blue nightgown that showed a lot of skin. The men looked her up and down but made no sudden moves. Their faces remained stoic and blank. She was afraid that they'd hurt her but Jin needed her. These men don't seem to be friends, nor do they look the least bit friendly.

"W-who are you?" her voice was wavering.

One man frowned at her. "Who are you?"

"I'm the owner of this house."

Both men looked at each other with puzzled faces.

"Owner... of the house?" the other man asked.

She nodded.

 

"So you were trying to say?" Seoyun asked skeptically.

The older looking man had requested to talk her and she agreed. They sat on the sofa with unreadable expressions. The man took a sip of the tea Soyun served and stared at her blankly.

"I told you. Jin isn't human."

She frowned. "What?"

The man sighed and shook his head.

"Listen to me here. Jin. Isn't. Human. He is a tangent, like, a super advanced robot with a human's mind."

"No," she muttered shaking her had, "that can't be. He's human. I saw him laugh and cry. I saw him interacting with people like other humans do. I held hs hands and they were warm. Human, warm."

"But he isn't human, miss. Sorry."

"No, no!" she screamed. "This is not happening. You can't take him away for 's sake!"

The man frowned. "I'm sorry but we have to. Jordan, take him away."

Seoyun looked up and started getting up.

"You're not going anywhere with him. You won't and if you somehow get out I will hunt you down and kill you. I'll report you to the police and-"

She was cut short. The man pulled out a stun gun and electrified her, leaving her laying helplessly on the floor.

 

The following days were dark and unreal. She walked around the city soullessly. At night she would cry herself to sleep and whimper in her sleep. She was out of it. She was broken. Her hands traced the photo frame that was set on top of her side table. Her heart yearned for Jin. Wailing, she dropped to the floor and hugged the bracelet that he had wore before. Her cries filled the room throughout the night, ceasing when she got to tired to keep her eyes open. Although Jin had been with her for only a while, he had left her so much. He was by then an important part of her.

Every little thing reminded her of him. Reluctantly, she went outside to throw out the trash. Before she could even make it to the dump, she dropped the bag. That was where she first saw him. Below all those stacks of boxes, lay Jin. Her body acted wthout her consent as they dove into the pile of boxes and started to mess everything up. Her neighbors shot her looks of disgust but she didn't care. All she could think of now is the man. She needed to find him and get him back.

 

"Miss Yang, how are you feeling?"

Seoyun looked up. "That's a question you ask to sick people."

The doctor laughed. "Indeed. But really, how are you?"

She nodded. "Okay, I guess."

"That's good." The doctor jotted something down on his notebook. "You'll be able to leave soon."

Seoyun brightened. "Will I be able to meet Jin then?"

He smiled. "Yes, yes you will."

"That's great. I know he just called me yesterday but I already miss him so much!"

The doctor's smile faltered.

"He once said that I reminded him of bubblegum wrappers."

"Why is that?"

"Because everytime he sees me he knows that something good is about to happen."

She smiled, looking back. She laughed at him that time, not understanding what he meant.

"I think it's because he likes it when I'm nearby. Everyone loves bubblegum."

"That's nice." the doctor smiled and walked out.

"Is she getting any better?" the nurse asked.

He shook his head. "I'm afraid it'll take her a long time to recover."

The nurse nodded.

"It hurts to lose someone very important."