Laura went back to her room to grab her cardigan, wore her sandals and immediately – she went out of the Villa’s gate. She told me to just stay there and wait for her to comeback. Looking at her in a hurry made me helpless. She does not even want me to move a single muscle from where I am standing.

I tried to sit on the cold stair case while I wait for her. The night is deep and the moon is hiding beneath the feathery fast moving clouds. I shivered as I watch its light form a magnificent halo from its perimeter making it as a centre.

I hugged my backpack in front of me while it lifelessly lay on my lap. A familiar sound made me jump off my feet. I stood up in an instant as I heard a loud bark from a distance. Laura’s shadow was with a man holding a dog’s leash halting it to maintain his pace with him.

It’s Yaku!

His happy face took an early glance when it reached the lights spatial beam. Laura looked relieved as she ushered a tall slowly walking man behind her.

He kept on looking down while he purposely used Laura’s figure as a shield for possible exposure. I stood still and squinted my eyes trying to have a better look on his appearance. She suddenly turned to look at him that caught him by surprise.

His perfectly chiselled bone structure was revealed with looks of the usual Greek statue. He is a walking master piece with his undeniable perfect jaw line matched with his refined cheekbones. His eyebrows were thick and well aligned; complimenting his double-eyelid puppy eyes along with his pointed nose of an actor. He bit his lower lip as he pulled his dog closer to him holding the strap with his long manly hands. He was wearing a snap-back but it cannot hide his distinctive natural exotic charisma.

“You don’t need to introduce her to me. I already know her.” He said politely to Laura with a low calm voice as he tried to steal a glance from my direction and go back again on his business being busy taming his dog.

Laura then asked for the dog’s leash and gave me the signal to come closer to them. He lifted his head and looked at me like he was looking for something. I stood awkwardly while I also try to figure it out.

With a passive voice he asked me, “I asked Jinnie to give you a phone this afternoon. I also called Hyesung when you were with him too to make sure all of our numbers are saved there. Did you receive it?” I looked at him with such surprise. I was not able to answer promptly.

The sixth person, the last one – the person whom they call a loach was Yaku’s owner?

“I’m sorry. I forgot all about it since I got tired the whole day and went straight off to sleep.” I tried to reason out towards his serious face corresponding with his piercing gaze pinning on me with his brows sticking close to one another for a reason that I am not aware of.

“Don’t say sorry. It’s okay. People forget. Laura told me that you need to go to the hospital? I think we need to get going.” while he shifted his eye level to my elbow.

“Oh yes.” I almost forgot. I am too busy figuring him out.

As soon as we went outside, I saw a black mini-cooper parked on the opposite side of the Villa’s entrance. He pressed on his car keys and it responded unlocking the doors open.

He opened the door for me and rushed to the other side in a hurry. He got my bag off my lap and put it behind our seats as he fastened my seatbelt around me carefully not touching any part of my damaged elbow. His long fingers twisted the car key and the engine of the car started to wake up.

He is driving carefully and silently beside me. The atmosphere is so awkward and uneasy. I cannot even think of anything to discuss with him, maybe the pain has overtaken all of my concentration and nothing comprehensive comes to my mind right now. I tried clear my dry throat and steal a glance on his elegant face.

He shifted his cap backwards and it just displayed a more detailed outline of his undeniably striking side profile starting from his forehead down to his chin. I almost thought that I am riding with a celebrity.

His nose bridge had those heavy marks of eyeglasses and he has this habit of scratching it with the back of his folded index finger. He will adjust the neckline of his red hoodie from time to time as it slides backwards while sitting, it chokes his Adam’s apple every time he tries to look on his side mirrors meticulously. His wearing black thick jogging pants yet it does not affect the overflowing masculinity that he possess.

He cleared his throat and suddenly said “Yaku’s been a regular visitor at the Villa. I hope he does not annoy you. You’re not originally a dog lover yet you even wanted to have a jellyfish as a pet. Please take time to appreciate my pet. I think you will learn to be fond of him.”

At last, he broke the bubble. Now all I need to do is simply blend in and go with the flow.

“Technically I just saw him once and that was yesterday. He looks playful.” I said trying to compliment his pet’s friendly attitude.

“You will see Yaku every day from now on because he will always find a way to be there.” he smirked.

 “Yaku is a very intelligent dog. The only reason why I can put him on his leash is because he likes it as well. How did you get hurt by the way?” he asked pointing on my elbow briefly and grabbed the steering wheel right away again.

“Oh this.” I felt ashamed to admit that it was a result of my stupidity but I don’t have any other choice. “I slipped when I went off the bus on my first day here.” He just nodded with a mischievous smile on his face. It looks like he is well aware of my clumsiness too.

“Eric.” He said plainly. “I can’t even imagine to this extent that you erased my name from your memories too. Doesn’t this Oppa look familiar at all?” he said finally with an ease of tension blended with cuteness at the tone of his voice. He sounded so comfortable and less stiff now.

I felt awkward. I just stared at him. This kind of face, I think I would not want to forget it if I saw it before. He noticed the way I watched him and he flushed red. He blinked multiple times and it looked like he regretted what he just said.

I tried to reason out, “I can’t really remember anyone. It’s not just you so you shouldn’t get sad about it. I am also puzzled how all of you came to know me even if it’s the first time that I met you.”

He took a deep breath and bit his lower lip. There is a heavy feeling from his deep sigh that I cannot explain. If his eyes can talk I bet I’ll be hearing a sad story soon but he withdraws from opening his mouth and just continued to drive with coldness springing from his tight gestures as his hands squeezed the controls of the car with a tensed grip.

“We’re almost there.” he said with a calm voice and shot a short smile at me. I am not aware of the magnitude of his warmth until he flashed his perfectly aligned teeth in that short moment. I hope he does it more. It will be such a waste if he keeps it hidden just like now.

“Don’t over think for now. You’ll be able to face everything in the end. It’s better than you watching the movie alone. This time you have us.” He assured me and it gave me a light comfort. I hate watching movies alone. He knows I can’t survive dealing with the by myself. I’d really want to figure it out with them.

We were already approaching the entrance of the hospital when I saw someone walking back and forth in front of the glass doors. He seemed to be waiting for us, restlessly. Eric blinked the headlights of his car and the person noticed us approaching. He stepped closer and waved steadily on his mark.

“Hey! Faster!” he shouted. This familiar ringing voice, I can’t believe he knew we were coming, it’s the doctor. He ran towards our direction as soon as he lost his patience while Eric is still finding a spot to park the car. I looked at his name tag while he came knocking at my window, it read “Dr. Kim”.

He opened the door once Eric turned off the engine and unbuckled my seat belt to make it faster for me to move out. Something fell from my seat when I stood up and the doctor picked up what looked like a pen and just threw it right back inside the car. It was like mine, the one that Nana gave me so I took a second look where it landed but, the engraved name was not mine. Maybe it belongs to Eric.

“Kris, how did you snap the stitches? Since when did you upgrade your clumsiness?” he asked me with full of worry in his voice and directed me to the same room where he first sealed it I tried to look back and saw Eric still aligning the car properly.

Dr. Kim opened the door for me and I naturally sat near the operating table and rested my right arm on it. He quickly wore a mask and even before his friend reaches the door, he was already done wiping off all the stains of blood on my skin and fixing the ruined stitches that caused me pain. He is such an amazing doctor.

“Please let’s meet each other soon somewhere else, not here in the hospital and without any casualties involved okay? You need to take extra care my dear, gravity is your enemy.” he said after he gave a gentle pinch on my chin and rushed towards his desk to get some additional medicine. I hope he gets pain relievers.

“Here are some pain relievers Kris.” he handed me a bunch, together with instructions written nicely on a piece of a yellow notepad. It seems like he prepared everything already.

“How did you..” my sentence got interrupted by Eric’s explanation – “I called him right away after Laura came knocking on my door to ask for help. It’s a good thing that he’s the 24/7 kind of doctor.” and both of them exchanged wink to each other.

I just remembered. I needed something else.

“Would you be able to prescribe me any sleeping pill too?” I asked. I will not be able to survive with all those nightmares visiting me during my resting period. My body’s giving up on me already. I need a proper sleep.

Dr. Kim’s eye-brows raised and his gaze bounced to Eric whose face matched with his. They looked both petrified hearing me asking for sleeping pills. The doctor lifted his open palm to grab the back of his own neck and looked up trying to figure out something. He lowered his head and looked at me with a serious face.

“Kris, I can’t.” he said directly. “It is obvious now that the heart remembers what the head erased. If I get it right, you had them ever since you arrived?” he asked. I cannot understand how he knew about it but I acknowledged it as I nodded.

“Nana’s game is harsh but you need to overcome this too. This is part of the package.” he pat my shoulder and gave me an encouraging smile.

“Can we go now?” Eric asked gloomily.

“Yes. Please let me know when you’re home.” He replied and handed me another apple flavoured lollipop from his pocket. He squeezed it right in between our hands and I felt his very warm soft palm against mine. “Be brave Kris.” he whispered gently as he let go.

“I will send you a message when we arrive home Dongwan.” Eric said while holding his phone up in the air.

He walked with me silently. We maintained a fair distance as we matched pace with each other. I don’t know why we kept this awkward space but it’s really annoying.

“It’s a good thing that you’re still up. If it was not for you, I won’t be able to go here.” I tried to be friendly.

“Oh.” He said with a surprised expression on his naïve looking face and it made me think that he just got back to our world. He seemed to be spacing out a lot. I think it’s his occupational hobby to be precise.

He smiled shyly and replied while cringing his nose “Uhm. Yeah. I’m still playing a game on my computer. I usually do that a lot at home during midnights since I am busy during day time.” He just confirmed that he is an owl too.

“Busy in the morning sounds like having a busy job.” I sighted.

“Yes. I work at the town’s university – as a history professor.” he said quickly and followed it with a brief smile.

“I just don’t look like one when I’m at home.” He laughed and it roared with an echo along the empty hallway.

I loved the sound. I missed it and at some point, a part of me was moved.