I snapped out of my reverie when my phone rang. Seeing that it was my Mom, I answered it.

“Hello?”

“Shin Hye-yah, how are you?” she asked, desperate. “Ah, really, can’t you call me first? I’m worried about you!”

I sniffed and wiped the tears away from my face. “I’m sorry,” I answered in a thick and pretty much lame voice. “But I’m okay, Mom. How are you and Dad?”

“We’re doing fine, as well,” she replied. “So how is Belfast?”

 I bit my lower lip before saying, “Mom, do you know why Donghyun brought me here?”

“He said the two of you will watch a concert.”

“We are,” I confirmed. “Do you know whose concert it is?”

“Whose concert is it, Shin Hye?” she casually asked back in reply.

I choked out smile. “It’s Yonghwa’s, Mom.”

There was this silence, and I could hear my Mom trying to make amends of the situation. “Oh, sweetie, I never knew…”

“I never knew it, too,” I said. “But I’m happy Donghyun did all these things for me.”

A brief pause followed, and Mom said, “Did you get to meet Yonghwa?”

“I did,” I replied. “I talked to him, and I told him my name was Hannah,” I took in a deep breath and added, “He doesn’t remember me.”

“Shin Hye-yah,” she said in a gentle tone. “I really don’t know what to say.”

“Don’t say anything, then,” I wiped the stray tears from my eyes. “Please listen to me.”

“I’ve always been listening.”

I smiled at her response, and said, “Do you remember how Yonghwa and I used to pass notes in haiku?”

“Yes.”

“We busked and we ran across a pavement fountain. He said that was included in his bucket list. You remember that, don’t you?”

“I do.”

“When I got home, I saw a letter, Mom. It came from him. It was written in haiku, as well, and on the last stanza, he said he wanted to float paper boats…with me.”

Silence.

“Shin Hye,” Mom began. “Though Yonghwa can’t remember you for now, he can still recognize the traces you left. Do you know what that means?”

I shook my head no, and realizing that we were on the phone, I verbalized it.

“He’s in the process of remembering a special person like you,” she said. “So don’t rush him, Shin Hye. In time, everything will fall back into place.”

<:>

“You’re not yourself,” Donghyun pointed out, as he occupied the space beside me. We finished eating breakfast when I decided to stay in Jinki’s backyard, sitting on the wooden bench I found. “Did something bad happen?”

I looked at him, and sighed. “I’m okay.”

“Liar,” he accused, his eyes not averting its gaze away from me.

The world grew silent; the sky was gray with tiny blotches of blue. The grass beneath my feet was damp due to the rain last night. Donghyun was still looking at me, and I escaped by turning my head to the opposite direction. I sighed again, before saying, “Can people remember once they forget, Donghyun?” in an instant, I covered my mouth with my right hand.

Stop being so reckless! I scolded myself. Something fell out of place the moment I spoke those words.

“Oh,” he said, after a long pause. “So it all comes right down to him again, huh?”

“Donghyun-ah, I’m sorry, I—”

“I believe people don’t forget,” he cut in, as he looked at me with a sincere smile on his face. “People think they do, but in all honesty, they don’t.”

“You…” I murmured. “You think so?”

He nodded, before looking up at the dull spectacle the sky had to offer. “Somewhere, at the very back of their minds, a trace of a certain person continues to exist. People aren’t forgotten,” he paused, and then he spoke again, “Just buried.”

I was silent for a while, pondering on the things he said.

“He’ll remember you,” he reassured. “It’s just a matter of time.”

“Right,” I agreed, smiling a little.

Donghyun stretched his arms, and then stood up. “Since Jinki’s at Queen’s,” he began. “Why don’t we go somewhere, too?”

My eyes widened. “Go where?”

“I’m not so sure myself,” he replied as he scratched the back of his neck with a sheepish smile on his face. “So, Shin Hye-yah, are you up for it?”

I smirked at him while nodding my head in approval. “It’s better than doing our essay, I guess.”

<:>

We rode the bus an hour later, and we ended up getting off at the last stop, somewhere near the City Hall. It was a busy day, with people holding different bags from the shops they went to. I looked around, and Donghyun tugged at my sleeve. “Let’s walk to Victoria Square,” he said. “See if there’s anything worth watching.”

“Sure,” I replied, following his lead.

“Hold my sleeve,” he said.

“Huh?”

“I said hold my sleeve. There are too many people and you’re short. You might get lost.”

Despite being confused, I obliged just the same. “I’d like to hold your hand,” he carried on in a melancholic tone. “But I’ve no right to do so. Those gaps between your fingers are made for someone else.”

I didn’t reply. What could I possibly tell him? “I’ll say more things that will make you uncomfortable in the future,” he warned. “So hold fast.”

We entered the alleyway where Yonghwa and I busked. I couldn’t help but replay that certain scene that became so vivid in my memory. Soon, I realized that my mind was moving further and further, reversing the seasons and the things I said. As if a movie reel was playing at the back of my eyes, the younger version of Yonghwa appeared in front of me. The buildings around me vanished, only to be replaced by a river and a grassy field. The sun shone brightly, and the chirping of the cicadas dominated the city sounds.

“I think that goes here,” I said, pointing at a puzzle piece near Yonghwa’s right foot.

“Really?” he asked. “Let’s give it a try, then.”

He took the piece and slipped it inside the gap. His eyes widened. “Shin Hye, I never knew you were good at this.”

“My Dad always sends me puzzles, that’s why,” I replied.

Yonghwa turned to me, and grinned. “Hold your right hand up,” he said.

“Why?”

“Just hold it up,” he pushed.

Sighing, I did what he told me. He smiled again before intertwining his hand against mine. “See?” he nonchalantly said. “It fits.”

<:>

Donghyun and I ended up watching Lion King in 3D, and he had to borrow some tissue from the girl sitting beside him, since I was already crying my heart out when Mufasa’s death came. I never really understood the movie back when I was younger. Nonetheless, I still cried when Scar stepped on Mufasa’s paw and pushed him off the cliff ledge. Watching it at the age of nineteen made things worse because somehow, I understood the feeling of losing someone.

Yonghwa and I watched the movie together for the first time when I was eight. It was still in VHS, too, and the both of us shared the same thoughts about Simba, the cub. He reminded us of Sunggyu, the good-natured boy who got a good shock when he saw me cry back then; the one who asked if Yonghwa and I had a big fight. You see, Sunggyu lost his Dad when he was five. I knew about it, because I could still remember going over to the funeral to pay our respects. While his Mom cried in front of his Dad’s urn, he played in a corner with his toy cars and tiny robots. Sunggyu used to smile until his eyes vanished, but ever since his Dad passed away, he detached himself from the crowd and all he did was stare at the ceiling or bang his head against the wall repetitively. I was four years old when I first heard the word ‘autism’.

It wasn’t until Yonghwa’s arrival when Sunggyu returned to his own self. All that Yonghwa did was to talk to him, despite him being ignored most of the time. In the end, my best friend won Sunggyu over. I reckon it was our Arts period—the very same day when Yonghwa explained our friendship to the entire class—when we all saw a different side of Sunggyu. He held his sketchpad up, and it showed a purple sky, studded with stars which outlined a figure of a lion. There was a silhouette of a cliff below the heavens, and a boy was standing there, pointing upwards.

“I took the idea from the movie The Lion King,” Sunggyu began with a shaky voice. “Because that’s my favorite movie.”

The whole class was quiet, waiting with such anticipation for the things Sunggyu had to say, and this encouraged him to go on. He cleared his throat first, and continued, “I don’t really have any exciting memories about my Dad. He was too sick to play catch with me so we watched television together, instead. Our favorite movie was The Lion King,” he sniffed, and smiled a little. “My Dad would tease me whenever I cried at the part where Mufasa dies. He doesn’t know that I was crying out of fear that he’d end up like him. To this very day, I still cry at that part. The only difference is…” Sunggyu trailed off as a single tear fell from his face. He then looked at us straight in the eyes. “My Dad isn’t around to tease me anymore. Because like Mufasa, he became a star.”

We didn’t know how to respond, but Yonghwa stood up from his seat without delay and he began to applaud with a huge grin on his face. Gaining my senses, I joined in, too. The next thing I knew, the whole class was cheering for Sunggyu, telling him how brave and brilliant he was.

<:>

We emerged from the movie theater several hours later and Donghyun laughed when he saw my face.

“You’re like a tomato,” he remarked. “Ah, look at those tear streaks!”

“I’ll wash up,” I snapped, and he smirked at my snarky gesture.

“Go, then,” he replied. “I’ll wait for you.”

I rolled my eyes before turning my back on him to head for the toilet.

“Even if it takes you forever, I will!” he added.

I looked back at him again, and he gave me a smirk as he shoved his hands in his jeans’ pockets.

<:>

I didn’t know how, but we ended up walking around an unfamiliar street. The sky was overcast with heavy, dark clouds, then; the rain threatening to fall at any moment.

“Donghyun-ah,” I said, as I looked around. “I think we’re lo—” I stopped walking when I realized that he wasn’t beside me anymore. I looked around, darting my eyes from one place to another, trying to locate a mop of fiery, red hair. Nothing. It was the busiest time of the day, so students, workers and hobos alike walked to and fro the street I was standing on.

“My phone!” I cried, as I d for my pockets. My anxious attempts died down when I remembered it was lying on my bed in the apartment. Sighing, I looked up at the sky. “Well, at least it’s not rain—”

In an instant, huge and heavy drops of rain, which felt like sharp and cold needles, fell from above. “Really, sky, really?” I snapped. Realizing that it was senseless arguing with the sky, I decided to look for a temporary shelter. However, someone held my wrist, causing me to gasp and turn around. Upon seeing the person, my breath fell short. “Yong…hwa?”

“So it’s really you,” he said, grinning. He was carrying a huge, blue umbrella. “Why are you here?”

“I was with my friend,” I blurted out. “But we got separated along the way.”

“You can’t stay under the rain like this,” he said. “We’re staying in the hotel right here—” he pointed at the edifice behind us with the word EUROPA on it. “You can dry yourself first. Have you tried calling your friend?”

“I…forgot my phone,” I muttered, completely embarrassed by my carelessness.

He smiled. “You can borrow ours. Hannah-ssi, do you trust me?”

I bit my lower lip, smiled, then nodded. “I’ve always trusted you, Yonghwa.”

He led me inside the hotel’s lobby, and he gave me his coat to keep me warm. The carpet felt so lush beneath my shoes I thought I was going to sink. We rode the lift, and when we reached the third floor, Yonghwa guided me through the halls until we arrived in front of his room.

“Wait a moment,” he said.

I nodded in return, and he knocked on the door. “Jonghyun, it’s Yonghwa,” he called out. “Make sure you’ve your shirt on. I’m with a friend.”

I’m with a friend. Those words rang inside my head longer than it should. As Hannah, Yonghwa acknowledged me as his friend. My heart felt like it was about to burst. I snapped back to reality when the door beeped and opened up, exposing a tall, black-haired guy with sharp features.

“Oh,” he suddenly said, bowing down. “Hello.”

“Hello,” I replied, returning the gesture. “I’m sorry to disturb you.”

“N-No,” he stammered. “Y-You’re Hannah, right?”

My eyes widened. “You remembered?”

“How can I not? Yonghwa over here—ouch!” Jonghyun rubbed his side that Yonghwa just elbowed. Yonghwa entered the room and took out a shirt and a pair of cozy pajamas. He laid it down on one of the beds.

“Hannah,” he said again, as he approached me. “I’ll have to lend you some of my clothes while you dry yours. Jonghyun and I will stay with Minhyuk and Jungshin next door so if you’re ever finished, you can just knock, hm?”

“What about your Manager?” I asked. “Is what you’re doing even legal?”

With this, Yonghwa laughed warmly. “To be honest I talked to him beforehand. I saw you standing there beneath the rain from here and I asked if I can help you. He agreed.”

I nodded. “T-Tell him I said thanks.”

“Hurry,” he said, as he shoved me inside their room. “You’re getting cold.”

He handed me his card and I said a final thanks before locking the door shut behind me. I looked around the bright room before walking over to where his clothes were. I ran my right hand carefully against the soft fabric with a nostalgic smile on my face. Back then, since I wore boyish clothes, Yonghwa would just borrow some clothes from me whenever he was too lazy to get his own pajamas in his house.

<:>

I was done changing half an hour later and since my clothes were still in the wash, I had no choice but to stay for a little longer. I combed my hair with my hand. Feeling dissatisfied, I grabbed the hair dryer on the drawer and stopped short when I saw a tiny picture frame. Yonghwa was there, smiling, with a pretty girl. She had her arms wrapped around his waist as if it was the most natural thing in the world. I narrowed my eyes, and a wave of epiphany finally hit me.

“Mina…” I muttered, as involuntary tears began to form in my eyes. I wanted to stop the waterworks, but it wouldn’t. I wiped my tears away but more trickled down my cheeks. I bit my knuckles to stop myself from sobbing and after forcing myself to calm down, I washed my face before heading next door to return the card.

“Whoa,” Minhyuk’s eyes widened. “Noona, why are your eyes red?”

“It’s the shampoo,” I replied, without missing a beat. “I accidentally rubbed it against my eyes earlier.”

He looked at me with a sincere stare. “You should be careful next time,” he stepped aside. “Please come in.”

The others—including the Manager, greeted me and I smiled while bowing in return. Yonghwa offered me a seat. Minhyuk and Jungshin were playing a video game while Jonghyun, Yonghwa and their Manager were sharing a bowl of popcorn while watching the other two.

“Do you know the phone number of your friend?” Yonghwa asked in a pleasant tone, as he removed the wireless telephone from the receiver.

I nodded.

“Then,” he said with a smile. “You can call him.”

“Thanks,” I quietly said, as I took the phone from him. I quickly dialed Donghyun’s number, and three rings later, he picked it up.

“Hello?”

“Donghyun-ah,” I said. “It’s me, Sh—Hannah.”

“Why are you using your English name all of a sudden?” he snapped. “And where are you?!”

I was silent for a moment. I could hear the pitter-patter of the rain in the background. “Are you soaked?” I finally asked.

“It doesn’t matter,” he answered. “Where are you? Did you find shelter?”

I bit my lower lip. “I’m here in Europa right now,” I replied. “In number 56.”

“The hotel?” he asked. “What’re you doing there?”

The five of them were glancing at me now. “Yonghwa,” I began. “Found me.”

There was this silence, and Donghyun broke it with a knowing chuckle. “Of course,” he muttered. “Who could be in the right place at the right time? Only Yonghwa,” he didn’t say it with contempt, but it hurt me just the same. It felt like I did something bad again.

“I’ll come get you now,” he said.

“I’ll wait for you, then,” I replied.

“I think it’s the other way around, Shin Hye,” he returned, before hanging up. I stared at the phone with a blank expression on my face.

“You okay?” Yonghwa asked after a long silence.

“Yeah,” I answered, as I handed him the phone. “Thanks.”

He stood up from his seat. “Is your friend on his way?”

“Yeah,” I said again.

“Then let’s check your clothes,” he replied. “It should be dry by now.”

Nobody objected, and so we headed back to the other room. The washing machine finished its cycle, and my clothes were already dry, just as Yonghwa suspected. I looked around the room and my eyes inevitably fell on the picture frame, yet again.

“That girl…” I began in the most casual voice I could muster. “She’s pretty.”

“Her name’s Shin Mina,” Yonghwa filled in for me. “She’s my childhood friend.”

Childhood…friend?

“I see,” I choked out.

“But then,” he added. “I’m more comfortable around you, Hannah.”

I looked at him. “What do you mean?”

He shrugged. “It feels like I’ve known you longer than I’ve known Mina. It’s strange, and I shouldn’t be saying this, but it’s the truth.”

“Yong—”

I was cut off by the sound of the buzzer.

“Oh, that must be your friend,” he said, grinning. “Go and answer it.”

I didn’t want to, and from the way Yonghwa started at me, he knew what I was trying to tell him. However, I dragged my feet across the room and opened the door with a heavy heart.

“Surprise!” a female voice cried, causing me to lift my head up. Both our eyes widened. The girl had a fair and glowing complexion. She was the very definition of 'fragile'. Her long, straight, black hair shimmered under the hotel lights and her fringe fell perfectly over her eyes. Her pink, healthy lips slightly trembled together with her long eyelashes that curled up on its ends. It was Mina. She never changed. She was still as pretty as ever and from the way she stared at me, it was evident that she still remembered me.

“Park…” she began. “Shin Hye…”

“Mina…” I returned with the same weak tone.

The atmosphere became tense, and with Yonghwa approaching us, things became more awkward.

“What happened here?” he asked. “And Mina-yah, why are you here in Belfast?”

“O-Oh,” she stuttered, her eyes not straying from me. “I…wanted to cheer you on for your concert so I decided to come here,” she looked at me from head to foot, and then Mina turned to Yonghwa. “Why is she wearing your clothes, when you never let me wear yours?”

Yonghwa and I looked at each other and without fair warning, someone pulled me out. I saw a flash of red from the corner of my eye. It was Donghyun.

“Thanks for looking after her,” he politely said, as he turned around to face Yonghwa. “I’m Donghyun, her friend. I’m sorry but we’re rushing right now. There’s a cab waiting for us downstairs.”

Donghyun’s grip around my wrist was tight, and he was dripping all over the place. From the looks of it, he was mad. At that time, I had no idea if he was angry at me, or at the situation. The lift’s doors slid open and we stepped inside. He held his gaze straight ahead while I looked down on the floor.

“I didn’t get to return Yonghwa’s clothes,” I muttered.

“I looked all over for you, and all you care about is his clothes?” he returned with an edge of bitterness in his voice.

“No, Donghyun, I didn’t mean that—”

“You never meant anything,” he cut in.

I swallowed. “I’m sorry.”

There was a beeping sound—an indication that we already reached the ground floor. The doors split open again and we walked across the lobby. The cab was waiting for us in a corner and after boarding the vehicle, it became more uncomfortable. I sniffed, and Donghyun glanced at me.

“Don’t you dare cry in front of me anymore,” he warned. I looked at him, and his eyes softened up. “Please, Shin Hye,” he pleaded. “Don’t give me any more reasons that will make me want to steal you away from Yonghwa.”

""For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
- John 3:16

Sorry for the long wait!