[Chapter 9] * T.T * She felt her beating. For sure she knew it was… Hwanhee. He seemed to have seen her, or she thought. She yelled his name but there was no way he could hear her across the street through cars and buses. She panicked. She was afraid that she would miss him, then she won’t be able to see him again. As fast as she could, she ran towards the direction that Hwanhee was walking. She heard people yelling at her angrily as she bumped into many of them, but she didn’t care. Only person she could see this moment was Hwanhee who was across the street. He turned around the corner. Dani thought she would never be able to see him again if she let him out of her sight. She ran through honking cars and closed her ears to shouting people. Cars squeaked as they stopped in right front of her. Drivers yelled and cursed her. But she ran towards the person that she still loved. Even after a year. Even after he didn’t show up when she was waiting in the freezing cold. He was the only person that she could ever love. And she knew that in her heart. “Hwanhee Oppa!” Dani called him, almost like a cry, a desperate cry. Hwanhee stopped. But he didn’t turn and after a moment, he started walking again. “Oppa!” Dani felt her tears drip down endlessly on her cheeks. He was here. He came back. Dani finally ran to him and put her hand on his shoulder. He turned around. Dani couldn’t stop her tears or the beating of her heart. Everything was back to her. Her whole world was back. But… Hwanhee didn’t smile at her or dropped a tear in happiness. He stood there with no expression at all. Dani felt suddenly cold. Her whole body froze just at his cold stare. And when Hwanhee opened his mouth to say something… She felt like that one second was forever… Then Hwanhee told her something she never expected. “Um… do I know you?” [Chapter 10] *Never meant to be* Dani tried to efface the face of Hwanhee as he told her that he doesn’t know her. How could that be, when all the love he learned and I learned was from each other. Dani covered her eyes with her hands as if that will make everything in her head go away. But it didn’t, and she had to cry all over again. She only wished to see him again, and ask what happened. Something bad had to happen. He couldn’t forget me like that. He can’t… This time, in fear that he will never be able to be her love again. Brian and Dani rode in the car together. Dani turned her face towards the window as Brian insisted, “Could you please smile?” “……..” Dani couldn’t tell him what’s on her mind. Considering how mad we was last time she mentioned him. If he finds out that he’s back…. Well, it probably doesn’t make any difference anymore since he….doesn’t remember. “Come on, we are going to meet my cousin. I don’t want her to think her invitation for us was a dra for us.” “It is.” Dani simply replied. Brian felt anger inside him rise, but he kept him to himself as he changed the subject. “She’s going to bring her fiancee. So it will be like a double date.” Dani sighed. She couldn’t care less about everything. Everything that surrounded was so fake. But she had no power to make it disappear when Hwanhee wasn’t by her side. Brian led Dani to hotel restaurant’s most expensive room that was for special, rich guests. Brian walked in first as he opened the door. “BoRi!” He yelled as he ran to hug his 20 year old cousin. “Brian Oppa! You’re late!” She happily(?) greeted him. Brian pulled Dani to his side who had her face down. “This is my fiancee Dani.” BoRi reached out her hand. Dani feebly shook it. “You don’t know how much I heard about you.” Brian left out loud at BoRi’s remark. Dani just smiled slightly. “So where’s your fiancee? I thought you were going to bring him.” “Yeah, he just went to the bathroom. He’ll be back.” “So finally I get to see if he’s really a cutie that you say he is.” “Of course he is!! He’s the most….” BoRi was interrupted by the sound of door closing in the room. “Oh, there he is.” And Dani and Brian both saw the last person in the world they expected to be standing there. Dani felt her heart ripping apart and Brian felt his legs shake slightly as BoRi introduced him. “Say hi, he’s my fiancee, Hwanhee.” [Chapter 11] *Can’t Let Go* “Nice to meet you. What was your name again?” Hwanhee asked, offering his hand to shake Brian’s. Brian just stood there frozen. BoRi stared at Brian. She expected her cousin to greet him with a warm hug because it’s his cousin’s lover. But he only stared as his face turned white as if he saw a ghost. Dani couldn’t believe it. She didn’t understand why it was Hwanhee standing there as someone else’s fiancee. He is only suppose to be mine… “Brian!!” BoRi yelled as Brian ran outside. She saw his face covered in sweat and horror in his eyes. BoRi followed. And it was Hwanhee and Dani left alone in the room. “We met before right?” Hwanhee asked. Dani’s eyes widened thinking that he remembered. “Yesterday, you thought I was somebody else.” “……….” Dani stared. Hwanhee, bewildered, tried to avoid Dani’s glare. “Do you know what’s wrong with that dude? Oh, oops, sorry. He’s your fiancee.” “You really don’t remember?” Dani asked with a trembling voice. “You really don’t…remember me?” “Um, no. I just met you yesterday.” Dani laughed lightly. She couldn’t believe the situation she was in. She couldn’t understand why fate will play this kind of trick on her. Hwanhee watched her as Dani feebly walked out of the room…..with tears in her eyes. “I’m sorry.” BoRi told Hwanhee. “What?” Hwanhee asked as he put his arms around BoRi. And BoRi leaned on his shoulder. “About Brian. I don’t know why he acted that way.” “Nah, don’t worry about it.” “But he was really strange. Do you think something is wrong with him?” “Like what?” “I don’t know, maybe he’s hallucinating or something, did you see the horror on his face?” “Nah, it wasn’t horror, it was more like a surprise. He probably was shocked that someone perfect-looking guy like me will be engaged to someone like you.” Hwanhee started teasing. BoRi slightly pinched him on the nose. “Do you still go see your doctor?” “Yeah.” Hwanhee replied. “I don’t want you to go.” “Why?” Hwanhee asked in surprise. “What if your memory comes back? Then you would leave me to go to your family and friends, and who knows, your lover.” Hwanhee laughed at the idea. “It doesn’t seem like it’s going to come back.” “Good. Because I want to keep you all to myself.” Hwanhee smiled at BoRi as he kissed her on the forhead. ~A year Ago~ BoRi was walking on the beach. She loved coming to the beach in winter because no one was there. She felt like the whole ocean was hers. She sat in the sand with her dog. Her Dad was a rich businessman much like her uncle and her cousin, Brian. She knew nothing about business. All her father wanted her to do was marry someone who knows something about business. But, she didn’t. She dreamed of a love. A coincidental love, a strong one, something you only see in the movies. And she found one. She ran to a body lying by the beach. He had blood all over and was unconscious. “Somebody Help! Help!” She yelled. As people ran to call an ambulance, she searched in his jacket for a ID of somekind. -Hwanhee Lee- She recited the name to herself. “If he gets through tonight, He’ll be ok.” The doctor told BoRi. She prayed that he’ll be ok. She touched his face gently. She felt strange feeling growing for this stranger. She prayed again. And suddenly, he opened his eyes. His eyes seemed to be aiming nowhere. He moved his hand, trying to search for something. And he whispered… “Dani….Dani….Dani….” BoRi listened to him as she stood up. Then Hwanhee looked at her. He said…. “Dani.” And he smiled. He closed his eyes again. And he didn’t wake up for several days. ~Back to Present~ “Are you really sure you didn’t have any lover?” BoRi asked again. “I can never be sure~” Hwanhee teased. BoRi knew he had one. She never mentioned to him what happened that day at the hospital. Because she thought mentioning that name would bring back his memory. She wanted him to stay forever. With her. “I’m gonna go buy us something to drink. I’ll be right back ok?” BoRi told Hwanhee. “Ok.” Hwanhee watched BoRi as she walked towards the coke machine. “You really don’t remember?” Dani asked with a trembling voice. “You really don’t…remember me?” Hwanhee sighed and rubbed his face with his hands. The words kept coming back to him. He closed his eyes as if that would wipe away all the pain in him. Slowly, his hand reached for his pocket. He took out the coin. And he gently kissed it. ****************************************************