Behind the Changes (1/1)

**JANG GEUN SEUK’S POV** It’s been three days since that incident happened. It’s been three days that _________-ah’s been lying on this hospital bed, unconscious. I was staring at her unconscious body with a bandage wrapped on her head, oxygen on her nose and dextrose on her right hand. I was the one that should be in there. I only suffered minor bruises on my body. My body is aching yet my heart is more upset at the sight of ________’s comatose body. I am sitting on the sofa just beside ________’s hospital bed. I did not go home just like her brother told me to. I wanted to take care of her myself. I was feeling sorry for her for all of this. Somehow, I felt bad that I did this to her. Maybe it was more correct if I told her to go with Hyung back to Seoul. I was sighing deeply continuously. This is her third day in this hospital. Then, someone opened the door. It was a boy. Maybe the same age as ours. I stood up and he came running beside ________. Jung Su-hyung was behind him. He was smiling faintly at me and stood beside me.“She’s still not awake huh?” Hyung told me. His voice is almost crying. We were behind the boy. I was staring at him. He holds ________’s right hand.

“_________-ah. This is Hyun Su. Please wake up” He said. He put off his eyeglasses and wiped his tears away. He continued to stare at ________. Then hyung spoke.“He’s Hyun Su. ________’s childhood friend. He’s her best friend. The moment he knew about _______’s condition, he booked a first flight back here in Seoul from Japan”

“What about your mom and dad?”

“They’ll be back tomorrow evening. Mom was really panicking. Dad’s really angry at __________’s carelessness” Hyung laughed yet he was really sad. “I did not expect something like this could happen. Do not blame yourself from all of this, Geun Seuk. I’ll never blame you. I know, you took care of _________ for me, for us. Thank you Geun Seuk-ah.”

“Hyung... Jeosonghamnida (I’m sorry)” I told him. I bowed. He tapped my shoulder and he smiled at me. I smiled back. Hyun Su-sshi faced us. His eyes were red puffy. He sniffed.“Hyun Su-ah... This is Jang Geun Seuk” He told him. Hyun Su smiled at me and I smiled back. He offered a hand shake. “Nice to meet you” He said to me.

I grab his hand and replied. “Same here.”

“So you’re the Geun Seuk my best friend keeps on telling me. Thank you for taking care of her” Hyun Su told me directly.*_________, all about me?* I did not expect that she’s been talking to him and tells him all about me. This guy really is good-looking. With his nerdy look, I cannot believe this guy looks like this.“Can I... talk to you for a moment?” He asked me. I was looking at him for sometime and I nod. He went out of the room and I followed him. He was sitting on the bench just outside _______’s room. I was standing beside him. He sighed deeply. I looked at him and he was looking afar and he was smiling “My best friend became stronger than I have imagined.” He said without looking at me. I wondered why he said that. I know __________’s been a little delicate yet she knows how to get in to trouble. I mean, to take care of herself. Isn’t he aware about that? He looked at me and noticed my reaction. He laughed. “You still didn’t know the real Park _________, did you?” He asked me. My reaction was still puzzled. I leaned my back on the wall, waiting for his continuation. “She was not like that back in Middle school and elementary. She was the cutest and the envy of all the girls in campus. Other girls hate her because of her beauty. Others really want her. Boys wanted to date her that she avoided all of them. Then, she met Yoo Seung Ho... Her brother’s best friend since high school. They dated for months; Seung Ho-sshi protected __________. He became her knight in shining armor. Seung ho-sshi loved _________ not because she’s a beauty. He loved her because she is Park _________. The kind, sweet and fragile-looking girl. ________-ah loves him very much. Until, ______-ah got kidnapped by some university gang that has a crush on her. Seung Ho once had a fight with them and kidnapped _______ to get back to him. She doesn’t know how to fight back, back then. I really do not know what really happened but before we knew it, Seung Ho died. _________ blamed herself. Moreover, Seung Ho’s mom also blamed ________-ah for her son’s death. After that, ___________ changed. She cut her hair and started to act like a boy. There were times when she tried to kill herself. It’s a good thing her family’s always there for her. She had gone in to so many fights, became one of the boys in school. One of the good-looking ones. But I could still see her girly side.” He laughed again after being serious. “My best friend is weird, isn’t she?” I did not answer. I was shocked that _________’s been in to something like that. No wonder she wanted to do things by herself. “Is she happy?” I asked.“No. I don’t think so. She’s trying to, I guess.” He answered me. “Do you know what... After that, she doesn’t want to fall in love again. I am surprised now though. When she started to live far away from Seoul, I could sense a lot of changes on her. I am really happy for her now.” He was smiling at me as if he was telling me something. “That’s great.” I sighed. Then, Hyung went outside. He was staring at both of us. Hyun Su stood up. “__________,’s awake now” he told us. All of us rushed inside. I stopped on my track just beside the door while Jung Su-hyung and Hyun Su rushed on her side. She was looking at me at the gap between Hyung and Hyun Su. I stared back. Then, she looked away, smiling at Hyun Su.

“Who is he?” She asked weakly. I heard her. Those words made my heart beats faster. Hyun Su and hyung looked at me. I stood there. I do not know how to react. Hyung looked at ________.“You cannot remember him?” I saw her shook her head. Hyun Su rushed outside. I do not know what was happening. Then when Hyun Su came back, he has a doctor and nurses with him.

“____________! Geun Seuk? Can’t you remember him?”

“Jung Su-oppa... I really can’t remember him.” She finally spoke. I finally heard her voice again. _______-ah is finally awake. The last time I saw her was when her face was full of blood. She was crying. But now, she can’t even remember me? She was looking at me as if she was trying to remember but I can’t bear to look at her blank face. I looked away. My tears started to fall. If I was the one that was hit by that thing, can I remember her too? If I am that person, I’ll try to remember. I’ll try to remember the girl that I really like. “This is naturally for someone in her condition. She may have a bad experience that she wanted to forget and somehow a certain person is connected with it. It was now reflected on her condition. But after sometime, it will slowly come back to her. All I want you to do is to do this slowly. So that it’ll not worsen her situation” The doctor explained. He left us inside the room. Jung Su-hyung approached me and tapped my shoulder. “Let’s give __________ time too bring all her memories back” I did not answer. I felt really bad. *Does she really have bad experiences with me? Or maybe about the thing that happened. After all, it was something like her past.* I looked at her one last time. She was talking to Hyun Su. I turned to Hyung and I said. “I’ll just go home and take a rest. Hyung, will you call me if something comes up?” Hyung nodded and I walked on.**_________’S POV** I looked at him go. My tears started to fall. My heart hurts more than my body and my head. “______-ah! Are you okay?” Hyun Su asked me. I shook my head. I saw Jung Su-oppa approaching.

“________!” he exclaimed.

“Oppa!... I lied... I lied about forgetting him!” I confessed about my lies. I did not have any amnesia. I lied about forgetting Geun Seuk. I lied about that thing so that he could leave me. “I want to go back. I want to go where my mom and dad is.”

“________...”

“Please... If I don’t go far away from him. He might end up the same way as Seung Ho-oppa. I don’t want that! It’s far easier to just walk away than seeing Geun Seuk suffering. Oppa, I want to leave as soon as possible.”

“_______-ah..” Hyun Su called.

“Please... Don’t tell him. And before I leave. I want to go to Seung Ho-oppa’s grave one last time... Please... Please...” I couldn’t stop begging. The hurts in Geun Seuk’s eyes was unbearable. I do not want to do that. But it was for his sake. I do not want to see the past again. I loved Geun Seuk so much that I do not want him to be taken away from me so I’ll be the one leaving. After all, I know, he’ll never have feelings for me just like the feelings I have for him.