Do you remember everything?
Remember, I Love You
Junhyung opens his eyes slowly. He uses his hand to cover his eyes again because of the bright light. He groans and rubs his eyes, trying to gain back his focus.
He reaches out his hand to take his phone which he put next to his pillow last night. There is seven missed calls from Yoseob and three new text messages but he doesn't bother to read it.
He stands up from his bed and takes a quick shower. He grabs his black leather jacket and the black scarf he received from Hyesu on his birthday. He puts his phone in his pocket and wears his shoes before leaving his apartment.
Three days have passed since Hyesu's wedding day. Junhyung remembers that he has made his decision to forget Hyesu and move on from her. He still remembers how hurt he was when he saw Yoseob and Hyesu together that he decided to leave the wedding ceremony.
Unfortunately he was not paying attention around when he crossed the road. A car hit him and he fainted right after that. He remembers Hyesu called his name when the car almost hit him but he's sure that it was hallucination because he's sure Hyesu was at the church with Yoseob.
He woke up in the hospital ward without serious injury. He had some scratches on his right arm and leg but nothing too serious. His parents were crying when he woke up so he assured them that he was alright.
Junhyung left the hospital the next day because he said he needed to talk to his company that he would postpone his return to Japan. He found it strange that his parents were crying when he told them that he would work permanently at Japan so he could move on from loving Hyesu. He thought that they were exaggerating things.
He locked himself in his apartment for the whole two days since he returned. He packed up some things so he could bring them to Japan. He found many things from his past, when he was still with Hyesu.
His company has sent his ticket to Japan for tomorrow morning so today will be his last day before he started work permanently at Japan. He has his plan already; he wants to visit his university to remember his happy moments during that time.
Junhyung walks pass the students who are chuckling, discussing about their projects, and eating together with their friends. Unconsciously, his feet lead him to the building which was supposed to be the old building of their university.
It is a new building now. There are library, auditorium, and sport hall inside of it. But the big tree at the yard is still standing tall. There are no students around the area because most of them don't have classes this early.
His eyes spot a girl with black thick rimmed glasses under the tree. He recognizes her immediately with her short hair. She is knitting a sweater carefully that she doesn't notice Junhyung is walking closer to her.
"Hyesu...," he calls out her name and she looks up to see him. Her lips form into a smile as she stands up. She puts her knitting equipment and hugs Junhyung tight.
He inhales her sweet scent, wrapping his arms around her. He misses her so much. It's almost a year since the last time he hugged Hyesu. He pulls away and lands a kiss on her forehead to make her blush as usual.
"Do you remember the day we met for the very first time?" Junhyung looks at the tree. "It's right here, Hyesu."
She doesn't answer him but she touches Junhyung's cheek with her cold hand. She smiles sweetly as a sign that she remembers perfectly that day when they met under the tree.
Junhyung suddenly remembers that she is Yoseob's wife now. He remembers clearly the wedding ceremony even though he didn't stay till the end. When he opens his mouth to apologize, Hyesu holds his hand and drags him out from the university area.
Feeling her soft touch, Junhyung cancels his urge to ask her about Yoseob. Maybe it's his last chance to spend times with Hyesu before he left to Japan. He feels guilty but he does want to be with Hyesu. At least for today.
Hyesu leads him to the nearby park, the park where Junhyung cut her hair for the first time. He still remembers it was after he defended her from a student who bullied her, pouring a bottle of beer on her. They introduced theirselves to each other that day.
And he remembers Hyesu smiled because he made a joke about Yoseob's bowl haircut he did so he embraces her hand gently, "Do you remember the first time I made you smile because of my joke?"
Hyesu chuckles and nods to him. She drags him to sit together on the park bench. Hyesu rests her head on Junhyung's shoulder, making his heart to beat faster yet he smiles widely.
"Do you remember the moment I confessed to you?" Junhyung asks her, remembering the day he asked her to be his girlfriend after he announced it in front of other students at the cafetaria. He is wondering if Yoseob has already fallen for Hyesu that day.
Hyesu stares at his eyes, smiling sweetly. Junhyung caresses her cheeks and leans closer to her. He misses her so much that he can't describe it with words.
He kisses her soft lips, kissing her gently. He can feel that she returns his kisses slightly like usual because she is really shy. Junhyung parts the kiss and smiles at her, "Do you remember how our first kiss was?"
Hyesu blushes again because of his question. Without answering his question, she stands up and pulls him to follow her. They walk around, not letting go of each other.
They stop when they walk pass a bakery. Hyesu looks at the strawberry cake through the display window. Without asking her, Junhyung steps in the bakery and buys a slice of strawberry cake.
"Do you remember when we celebrated my birthday with the strawberry cake?" Junhyung takes a bite of the cake when they walk out from the shop. "You promised me to bake the cake by yourself on my next birthday and you fulfilled your promise. I love your cake."
Hyesu smiles sheepishly and chuckles at Junhyung's wide grin. Junhyung feels that they return to their happy moments again. The days when they live their days together with smile and love.
He stops a taxi and tells her to step in. He tells the driver the direction to the beach, the place where they once had candlelight dinner together. He still remembers perfectly the night when he proposed Hyesu.
"Do you remember the day I proposed you under the fireworks?" Junhyung asks her when they're arrived at the beach. They walk hand in hand, leaving footsteps on the sand.
Hyesu stops and smiles at him. Junhyung rests his forehead on hers. He feels lucky that there is no one at the beach since people usually visit it at evening or night.
"Do you remember the moment we had our very first fight?" Junhyung caresses one of her cheeks gently. "Because I didn't want to listen to you."
Hyesu gives him a sad smile so Junhyung continues, "I'm sorry, Hyesu. I really am. If only I listened to you that day..."
She shakes her head slowly, trying to assure him that she is alright by returning his embrace with her hand.
"Do you remember the time I said that I hated you?" he buries his face in her hair. He still remembers how much his heart ached when he saw Hyesu and Yoseob. "I didnt mean it. I was too jealous. I'm sorry, Hyesu ah..."
A tear escapes his eyes so he pulls away and wipes away his own tear, smiling awkwardly, "Do you remember that I cried when you told me you would marry my best friend? It's your birthday, I still remember it."
"Do you remember that I said I would forget you on your wedding day?" Junhyung clears his throat and tucks her long hair behind her hair. "I don't think I can forget you. I can never forget you."
Hyesu helps him to wipe his tears in silence. She only puts a sad smile on her lips. That's when Junhyung realizes that Hyesu doesn't wear her wedding ring with Yoseob.
"Hyesu ah...," Junhyung holds her hand, embracing it gently. "Do you remember everything?"
She doesn't answer it. She covers his eyes with her right hand, placing her index finger on his lips as a sign for him to stay still.
"Remember," Junhyung can hear her soft voice echoing, "I love you."
Junhyung opens his eyes to find that he is standing alone. He looks around but there is no sign of Hyesu. He looks behind and only sees his own footsteps on the sand.
He calls out her name over and over again but she doesn't reply him. As if she just disappears into the thin air.
Junhyung rubs his temple because his head is aching really bad. He rushes to find a taxi and checks his phone to read the text messages from Yoseob.
"Junhyung, please. Accept the reality. I know you don't want to believe it."
"Junhyung, it's not only you who is grieving. Please talk with me again."
"Junhyung, please come to her funeral."
The headache attacks him again. He grabs his hair, hoping this pain to disappear. He tells the driver to go to a cemetery but he doesn't know why he wants to go there.
When the taxi stops, Junhyung sees dozens of people are wearing black clothes, gathering around a coffin. He steps closer to the crowd and finds Yoseob is standing near the coffin with Hyesu's parents.
His gaze lands on the tombstone to see the name on it. The moment he reads it, his tears fall down.
He can see 'Soo Hyesu' is written on the tombstone.
And suddenly his headache becomes worse.
He remembers he was wearing the tuxedo. He remembers the white gown which was stained by red blood. He remembers he hugged Hyesu who was crying.
It's not him who was hit by the car. At the last second, Hyesu pushed him away so he only suffered minor wound but the car hit her directly, causing her to be thrown metres away.
Junhyung rushed to her side, hugging her with tears. She was bleeding but she smiled softly to him, caressing his cheeks with her last strength and a tear rolled down on her pale cheeks, whispering to him that she still loved him.
She passed away on her way to the hospital.
Junhyung fainted due to the shock. When he woke up, he already blocked his memories, only remembering that he gave up on Hyesu because Hyesu was going to marry his best friend; he didn't want to accept the reality that Hyesu has passed away.
Yoseob kept calling him but Junhyung ignored him. Yoseob was grieving as well; he cried really hard, blaming himself. If only he didn't let her go that day, she would be alive right now.
But then he didn't see the accident right in front of his eyes. Unlike Junhyung who was blaming himself because Hyesu saved him from the car.
Junhyung steps backwards from the crowd and coffin. He notices that there is something in his pocket. He takes the white envelope out, the one Hyesu gave for him before the accident.
Under his conscious, Junhyung always brings the envelope along with him. He takes the two rings from the envelope and stares at them. He takes out the letter and reads it once again.
When he reaches her last sentence on the letter, Junhyung falls down on his knees, crying like there is no tomorrow.
"Remember, I love you.
Sincerely with love,
Soo Hyesu"
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