Hide and Seek . Part 3 . The Past

Yoseob woke up early the next morning, the sun shining brightly through his curtainless windows. He groaned at his inability to oversleep and rolled over burying his face into the soft white pillows. The sun coming up in the morning reminded him that he had responsivities that couldn’t be put off. He sat up stretching his arms to their limit., feeling his stiff muscles stretch and locked joints pop free he released a cry of relief. Looking out his door he can see the vase full of wilted roses.

He would always ask himself why he would buy a rose, like he did yesterday, every year. Even though he tried to push away any thoughts of seven years ago they always came rushing back to him.

Looking at the clock he noticed if he didn’t get up soon he'd stray from his schedule. He forced himself away from his warm bed and proceeded to get ready for the day ahead of him. Yoseob’s workplace was usually quiet, but today was different. A small class of elementary school students was there visiting the store for a book reading. All over the store small children ran and filled the store with laughter. Yoseob didn’t mind having the children there. He smiled at their youth and energy until he saw a small girl standing by herself hiding behind a bookshelf. He walked over to her and bent down to her level.

“What’s wrong little girl? Why are you hiding?” He spoke softly to her as she looked down at the ground. She wouldn’t say a word.

“Are you okay? Did someone hurt you?” Yoseob kept trying. The little girl slightly shook her head.

“Then why are you hid-”

“Myung Hee come here, the reading is about to start.” Yoseob was cut off by the teacher calling her students to gather around so they can begin. The little girl ran away and sat on the floor with her fellow classmates. Yoseob couldn’t move.

The name Myung Hee was his worst fear. That little girl wasn’t his Myung Hee, but that didn’t mean he didn’t wish she was. Years after the accident he searched everywhere for Myung Hee; to protect and save her the way he should have in the beginning.

The small sound of tiny and quick feet echoed the empty hallway. The small child ran as hard as she could, her shadow trailing just a few feet behind her.

“Yoseob where are you? I want to show you something!” The small child yelled.

“Yoseob Where are you?!” The child ran faster opening and slamming doors in a hallway that seemed to go on and on.

“Myung Hee, what are you doing? People are trying to work.” A boy came out of a room towards the end of the hall.

“I’m sorry Yoseob.” the small girl apologized slowly making her way towards the boy.

Sighing, the boy took hold of the little girl's hand and took her into the room he had come out of. He sat her down in his chair and gently patted her head. Although he was still young, the boy was very mature for his age. He was only 12 years old at the time but his vast knowledge of science, math, and literature would make him seem so much older. The small girl was only 8 years old. She was so small and naive, always laughing and full of energy.

“O.k, Myung Hee what is it?” She said nothing as her head hung low.

“Myung Hee please I have to get back to work.”

“I drew this for you Yoseob. This is you, this is me and that's papa.” Said the small girl pointing at each oddly formed figure. It was a cute picture but all it seemed like a bunch of squiggly lines.

“Thank you, Myung Hee. It’s… very colorful. But who's the--” She was happy with the reaction and was now entertained by the spinning chair.

“Yoseob why do you work here with papa?” she said abruptly. She understood that she was in a building only every named Laboratory. However, she didn’t know what type of Laboratory this was. All she knew was that it was full of elderly people who wore long white coats and mean looking buff men who were constantly running but she didn’t know to where.

“Because I’m here doing research, Myung Hee.” He had answered her question times before but she would always ask whenever they were together.

“Research on what?” her voice was innocent, but Yoseob’s answer wasn’t. At the age of 12, he knew wrong from right but, when it came to results and data no such thing existed. Yoseob, just at the age of 12, put people, no put lab experiments into trials that no normal human would be able to survive. Not many did. It wasn’t that he didn’t have a sense of morality or sympathy; he needed those results to be able to finish his research.

“Don’t worry about Myung Hee. You’re too young to understand.”

“But papa said--”

“I’m sorry Myung Hee but I have to get to the Lab. Go back home okay. I’ll have someone you.” But without waiting for a reply, Yoseob left the little girl in the room. Little did he know it was the last time he’d see her. The small and innocent little girl that was always happy and