Retrospect:II

My body was bound with bandages like a soldier coming back from war. From my chest, to my arm, running down towards the left part of my abdomen. I could still feel the ache, I could still feel the pain. As Jeong Su stroked my hair continually, I started calming down gradually.

I was treated like a new born baby for a couple of days, at that moment I was the boss. Our Handler did whatever I wanted, I knew it'd only last until I was better, even if not fully recovered.

The Sun looked very bright that day. I imagined myself at the beach, sitting all alone just staring at the sunset. "What a nice life that'd be" I thought to myself.

The door opened and Jeong Su came in with a tray, packed with numerous pills, "oh.. not again." I said and lay back on the bed pretending to be asleep.

"I already saw you, there's no need pretending."

I sighed and sat up once again. Our Handler had told me that the pills were made here in ARIES and it fits to our mutated genetics. I hated anything that had to do with medications or hospitals, all of it was un-nice. The smell of pharmacies, clinics and hospitals I hated it all, anytime I smelled it, I almost threw up.

"I don't want it, I already feel fine" I said refusing the pills.

She (Jeong Su) didn't try to force me to take it, "it fell off the day of the incident." She said and put my necklace around me and smiled. I shew my gratitude and tried walking towards the window buh as I took my first step, I fell in my knees. With the help of the bed I stood up once again and slowly walked towards the window.

"Gwaechanha-euseyo? (Are you okay)" Jeong Su asked.

I decided not to respond, I just continued looking outside the window, the wide expanse of land and the buildings beneath and above all seemed artistic.

Jeong Su walked up to me, "Ummmm can I ask you something?"

I was taken aback, that's new. "What could she have to ask me?" "Did I say anything wrong while I was losing consciousness?"

She didn't allow me reply to her question, she moved in and asked "who's KJ? Ummm you were continually saying her name while you were falling unconscious that day and I've been meaning to ask you."

I wasn't ready to go introspective and divulge and information. "She was someone.... Someone.. she was a friend" I said coldly walking away from the window.

"Dave already told me about her and who she was to you."

I stopped and looked back, "damn Dave." I whispered slightly. I continued, "well like you said, he had told you about her so why asking me again, do you feel he's lying?"

"He told me to ask you when you woke up. He said he didn't know anything about you two buh he knew she was the closest to you and you were to her too."

Jeong Su seemed quite inquisitive and it was worrisome, she had never had that kind of curiosity towards things since I knew her. She's the kind of person that minds her business, not that she's not sociable and gaiety but she has her limits. But this time she was crossing them and it felt weird.

"There's nothing to say" I said and lay back on the bed. Hoping that would work, she followed me and also sat one the bed. I was fast getting frustrated at her.

"Dave said she was someone you confided in, said she was the only person you talked to, how was she? What was she like?" She asked me.

Her curiosity was alarmingly surprising. I smiled a little and then I asked myself how she knew KJ was aquatinted with both Dave and I. "How did you know Dave knows KJ also?" I asked her in a subtle tone.

She didn't hide the fact that she read his memories and saw KJ in it. She further went on to tell me how much of an enigma I was and how she could not read my memories; telling me how cold I was towards everybody but myself. Trying to tell me a secluded life would only bring loneliness and pain, trying to give me a whole lot of life advice, she sounded just like Jin-A.

I took a deep sigh, cleared my throat and started.

*Three years ago*

You have arrived in South Korea, a voice said over the PA.

It was my first time travelling anywhere so I was a bit scared and seemed a bit lost. I made my way towards the checkout point.

"Hello." The attendant said smiling at me.

I took a bow and replied her, "annyeonghaseyo" (hello), submitting my passport for her to stamp.

The attendant looked at me in awe, totally surprised that I spoke Korean to her, " wow! Neoneun hangug-eoleul hal su iss-eo (you can speak Korean)?

"Ne (yes)...

Jag-eun (a little)." I replied her.

She smiled widely and looked at my face for a while studying it, she'd look at the photo on the passport and switch her gaze towards my face. Finally, she nodded and smiled at me once again, "hangug-e osin geos-eul hwan-yeonghabnida (welcome to South Korea)."

I received my passport from her smiled and took a bow again, "gamsahabnida (thank you)," and started heading towards the exit.

It took me time before getting to the university, the traffic was a little bit heavy. I had travelled in the afternoon of the day before, and it's 18 hours in the air from Africa, so I got there early in the morning.

I made it in time just for orientation there I met Dave, we were both international students and Dave was good at talking so we were together throughout the day. Fortunately, and unknown to me, Dave and I were in the same room that's where we met Daesang, he was also our roommate. Gradually as time grew, we grew on eachother becoming peas In a pod. Daesang and Dave soon became best of friends they were polar opposites but they always found a common ground.

We had a field trip to Incheon one summer and there we met Kim Jin-A (KJ). Initially she got close to Dave first, she had know Daesang since he was able to sit on the toilet by himself, they were literally like family. As time went on. It was on that field trip I gave Dave Dong Hwa because he won the first place prize for the games we had and I called Daesang Mandu because back then, he had very fat cheeks and ate a lot.

Abrubtly, Jeong Su interrupted my story, "Jinja (really)? I asked you for Jin-A and you're telling me about how you met Dave and Daesang. What's do I need that for?" She had a weird countenance in her face as she said so.

"...Well, it's all part of story building up," I said, trying to sound convincing.

Jeong Su raised an eyebrow. "Save it, Su Jin. You're stalling. Tell me about KJ."

"I hesitated, my heart racing. 'KJ... she was the one person who understood me. The one person who...' I trailed off, lost in thought.

Jeong Su's eyes sparkled with curiosity. ''Tell me more. I want to know about KJ.''

I smiled wistfully. ''There's so much to tell... but why are you so concerned about KJ, why do you even care?''

She narrowed her eyes and bent her head down, her face turned gloomy and sad, she made it seem like she was bored and needed someone to talk to but I could see that there was more to it than that.

"Whatever the reason is I don't care, nevermind. The story... Hmmm," I sighed once more, "there's no story to tell."

"You're so cold toward me, wae (why)? Well that's understandable you're actually cold towards everyone around. But it seems like you hate me. Was I the cause of your death in your past life? Jeongmal, wae (really, why)?"

She was trying to make me feel guilty and it was working, trying to douse her rousing anger, "why would you think I hate you? Wae (why)?" I asked her.

"You never answered when I called, you always look at me weird, anytime we met in the hallway or I was approaching your direction you always turned back or took an alternate route, whenever I sat beside you, you always stood up left. How would you explain that?" She said angrily. Every since the training, that was the only time you seemed to talk to me, I thought we'd grow closer after that but that wasn't the case. Just let me know what I did that made you hate me! Wae (why)!"

This was just pure bad luck for me, I didn't even notice things like this had happened. There was no way to to explain myself, if I was her I'd feel the same way.

"Mihanae (sorry), you have the wrong idea, but still, I'm sorry if I made you feel that way, it wasn't intended. The anger was still in her eyes, thinking reverse psychology would work, I asked her if she still wanted to know about KJ expecting to hear a negative response because she was frustrated a bit, but she nodded eagerly, and I could see the anticipation in her eyes. "This reverse psychology thingy never works." I said to myself. I took a deep breath, ready to dive into the memories I had kept hidden for so long.

And that's where our story begins...