Chapter 1: The Concert
1362 Words
[ST. LUKE'S MEDICAL CENTER ROOM 2401. PRESENT]
🎶We won't forget, our Ddukbol.
My beloved sister, my friend, my first love.
We wait, still leaving an empty seat for you.
Forever... come back to us.🎶
I heard some familiar voices singing the song 'Ddukbol' by Nova7. I'm not a fan of that band, but why does it feel like the song was written for me? My brow furrowed so hard my head felt like it was about to explode. I couldn't contain the pain anymore, so I started screaming.
“APPAAAAA!” I yelled, hitting my head to stop the scenes flashing through my mind.
“DDUKBOL-AH?!” A worried voice cut through the chaos and when I opened my eyes, I saw a familiar man. He was with Dr. Leo, my uncle, who rushed to grab something.
I felt cold metal on my forehead and realized it was a penlight.
“She is responsive to light.”
The man with monolid almond eyes looked relieved as he heard that. Then, he forced a smile.
“Don't worry, you're okay!” he said, gently rubbing my head with his right palm. I noticed the dimples on his cheek. I felt... safe. He looked just like me. A male version of me. If I was born a boy... that would be my face.
My eyes reacted to the light, but my mind was blank. I couldn't remember anything except the concert earlier. I wasn't there to watch. I'm Aram Santos. A part-time backstage crew.
[MOA ARENA. 7PM]
“Can you bring this sealed bottle of water for the singers, Ms. Aram? Their manager forgot it...” I nodded. My hands were shaking for no reason.
I went to the dressing room and knocked.
“Hello, I brought water for Nova7.” I could only hear the noise from the blower before someone answered, “Please come in.”
When I opened the door, I panicked and dropped one bottle. It rolled under the couch.
I scrambled to pick it up, embarrassed—then another hand reached for it at the same time.
A current ran through my veins. He was only wearing a robe. But my eyes weren’t on his face. They were stuck on the bruise on his left knee. Old. Faded. But familiar, like I’d cried over it before. I didn’t know why it hurt me to see it.
I looked up and saw him. Cute. Messy hair. Bunny smile.
“Are you alright?” His voice was soft. And the way he looked at me… like he knew me. Like he’d been waiting for me.
My eyes shifted to the other guy who suddenly helped me stand up. He didn’t sound annoyed when he said, “Be careful.”
Honestly, I felt safe with him. His eyes were gentle. Careful.
But my heart was pounding for the boy with the bunny smile and the bruised knee.
This man whispered something I almost missed. “…Ddukbol?”
“I'm done with my make-up, it's now your turn, Jae,” one of them said.
I froze. Especially when another voice joined in, “Are you Jinwoo's sister?”
I didn't know what to say. My throat closed. I gave them an awkward smile. “I don't have a brother. I'm an only child.”
They nodded in approval. But my chest felt hollow.
“I do have a younger sister. I'll be meeting her after the show...” I think it was Jinwoo speaking. He turned his head towards us.
For a second, I thought our eyes would meet. But the manager walked in, and I had to go. I left the dressing room overwhelmed. My hands were shaking.
After a few minutes, Nova7 went up the stage. I was backstage, busy, but I couldn't focus. Those seven men were popular, but I didn't know their names. Yet my heart kept beating fast. Like it recognized them.
In the middle of the concert, a song played that touched my soul. Everyone was shouting “Theo!” and his voice... it sounded like home.
🎶The path to the nursery where I walked you holding hands everyday.
Remember? The day we pinky-swore that I'd become a doctor.
Because if you were sick, we couldn't run and play.
My whole childhood, my pretty best friend.
Not even knowing you were hurt, I just kept waiting for you.🎶
Then I heard it. A small boy's voice inside my head: “I got a corn dog for my Ddukbol-ah!”
It disappeared. Then the crowd started calling out “Jae!”
🎶Your cute face I fell for the moment I first saw it.
In front of the fools who bullied you, I was your Iron Man.
I swore I would protect you no matter what happened.
But you suddenly disappeared, my promises I couldn't keep.
I miss you, please come back so I can protect you again.🎶
Another memory hit me, a different boy's voice, softer: “Ddukbol-ah, stop crying! As long as you're not hurt, I'm fine. Don't worry!” My head exploded with pain. The lights hit my eyes and I saw him—a blurry face, a boy with a bandage on his left knee.
What are these voices?
“Ms? Your nose is bleeding! Are you okay?” The smell of iron filled my nose. Same smell as that night.
This time the trigger was too much. My vision went black.
[ST. LUKE'S MEDICAL CENTER ROOM 2401. PRESENT]
Now, I find myself in the hospital again. White walls. The smell of antiseptic. The beeping of machines.
Dr. Leo is talking to that man. The one with a weird resemblance to me. Monolid eyes. Same jawline.
I'm conscious. But my mind is empty. No memories. Just blank pages where my past should be.
“I'm her foster father,” Dr. Leo said. His voice was low, careful. “That's why I know she got into a serious car accident back in South Korea. Her father, who is my close friend, said she underwent surgery there, and he brought her here for neuro rehab. Successful operation... but her memories were forgotten.”
I hate to admit it, but I was aware. I have memory loss.
Nightmares I ignore. Anxiety that claws at my chest when something triggers me.
Dr. Leo was kind enough to care for me. Supported me financially.
That's why I finished my studies. I was supposed to teach in secondary school...
But because of my mental health, I don't have a stable job.
I don't even have a stable past.
“Mr. Jinwoo, we need emotional anchors to rewire her brain.” Dr. Leo’s voice was steady, but his hands were shaking.
“But we must be guided. One at a time. Because a brain... is like a wound.” He paused. Looked at me.
“If we force her to recall everything, it will bleed again. It’s dangerous. I keep trying what I can do to heal her broken memories. But as someone who was never really familiar with her childhood... I’m afraid of the false memory risk.”
Tears welled in both of their eyes.
I don’t mean to listen. I really don’t.
But no matter how distant they were from me, I could still hear everything. Every word cut through the silence.
“What do you think has triggered her now?” Mr. Jinwoo’s voice broke. He was desperate to know the reason why I collapsed.
Dr. Leo took a glimpse at me before speaking. “She went to a concert today for her part-time job. She might have heard, seen, touched, or smelled something that was from her past. I’m not really sure but... did you even meet her there?”
A beat of silence.
“If I’m not mistaken, you’re the leader of Nova7 band... so have you two met there?”
He did not answer Dr. Leo right away.
He was trying to recall what happened.
And I was trying not to cry.
- Writer
