Chapter 2

“Can’t she stay at your place?”

I don’t even know how I got here.

I just ran as fast as I could, gasping for breath, and when I came to my senses, I was in the emergency room.

“Hyun Woo. Chae Ah has come out.”

“……!”

After finishing her diagnosis, Chae Ah moved straight to the ward. Watching her being carried away unconscious made my chest feel tight.

I should have confessed right there.

If only I had handed her the bouquet in front of our house, none of this would’ve happened.

‘Why did I try to create some mood by calling her to the playground?’

I know it wasn’t my fault, but my mood sank anyway.

“How did this happen?”

“Well…”

Chae Ah’s father briefly explained the circumstances of the accident.

A car that didn’t see Chae Ah at the corner braked suddenly but couldn’t stop in time and ended up hitting her.

That was all.

The driver who caused the accident reported it himself and was just sent to the police station after crying and apologizing to Chae Ah’s parents.

There was one strange thing though—

The road where Chae Ah had the accident was going the opposite way from the playground.

“Since it wasn’t a high-speed collision, fortunately, there will be no life-threatening injuries.”

The doctor gave his verdict in a dry voice.

Chae Ah’s mother sighed with relief and asked,

“Then… is our Chae Ah okay?”

“Yes. There are minor fractures on her ankle and arm, but they’re not severe enough to hinder quick recovery.”

I wish the doctor’s words had ended there.

“However, there’s evidence of a head injury. The loss of consciousness seems to indicate a mild concussion.”

“T-then…”

“It’s a minor injury, so there’s no need for surgery. We’ve already treated it, so medication and consistent observation should suffice.”

The doctor continued without hesitation:

“But there’s a possibility of memory loss.”

“Memory loss…?”

“Yes. While uncommon, there’s a chance that memories before or after the accident—or even parts of specific memories—could disappear.”

“…So there’s only a possibility?”

Chae Ah’s father rubbed his face anxiously while asking.

“She could wake up perfectly fine, right?”

“That’s correct. I’m just letting you know in case such a situation arises so you won’t be shocked.”

“I see… Thank you, Doctor.”

The doctor left the room with a still expressionless face.

Chae Ah’s parents slumped into their chairs like they were melting.

“Haa… What exactly is happening here?”

“Still, it’s good that there’s no threat to her life, right?”

“That’s fortunate. Extremely fortunate…”

Chae Ah’s parents wiped their tears and patted each other for comfort.

“Phew…”

Hyun Woo also let out a deep sigh from the side. The feeling of suffocation that had gripped him until now eased slightly, but he still felt as if a rock was sitting on his chest.

Still, since all the injuries were recoverable…

I hoped Chae Ah would wake up soon and explain why she didn’t come directly to the playground.

* * *

The doctor’s diagnosis turned out to be true.

About three hours after Chae Ah was transferred to the ward,

“Umm…”

Chae Ah slowly opened her eyes. Hyun Woo, who had been waiting what felt like an eternity, jumped up immediately.

“Chae Ah.”

“Mm…?”

Chae Ah looked at Hyun Woo with drowsy eyes.

“Th-that…”

Suddenly, fear gripped him. The doctor had clearly said there was a possibility of memory loss.

‘What if she doesn’t remember me?’

First, I should call the doctor… No, I should first call Chae Ah’s parents who went to get water…

In that moment of confusion,

Chae Ah grabbed Hyun Woo’s sleeve with trembling hands.

“Hyun Woo…”

“! Chae Ah. Do you remember me?”

Hyun Woo leaned closer to make sure he could hear her voice clearly.

“Uh…? Of course, I do. My childhood friend whom I like…”

Under normal circumstances, those words might have made him feel thrilled, but now wasn’t the time for that.

“But where am I? Why am I…”

As Chae Ah frowned and looked down at her cast,

Creak.

The door to the ward opened quietly.

Hyun Woo confirmed that it was Chae Ah’s parents with the water and spoke with a trembling voice:

“Uncle, Aunt. Chae Ah woke up.”

“Really?!”

Chae Ah’s parents set down the cups and rushed to the bed.

“Chae Ah, are you okay? Anywhere hurts?”

“Thankfully, waking up so quickly is really a relief…”

While Chae Ah’s mother sniffled and her father patted her,

“…?”

Chae Ah raised a question mark over her head and tightly grabbed Hyun Woo’s collar.

“Why are you acting like this?”

Only then did Hyun Woo realize that Chae Ah’s reaction was strange—as if she were looking at strangers.

“You don’t remember…?”

An unpleasant thought crossed Hyun Woo’s mind.

Could that even happen?

But doubts arose in his mind.

“Hyun Woo, who are these people?”

Chae Ah ultimately confirmed his worst fears.

* * *

We immediately called the doctor for another examination.

“This is a very rare occurrence.”

The doctor furrowed his brow deeply.

“So, you don’t remember anything except Hyun Woo?”

“Y-yes…”

“Memories from the accident, Chae Ah’s parents, or any human relationships at all?”

“Nothing… comes to mind.”

“Sigh…”

The doctor tilted his head, scribbled something, and handed it to Chae Ah’s parents.

“It seems memory loss has occurred as we feared.”

“But… you remember Hyun Woo, right?”

This was a bizarre phenomenon.

While struggling to recall basic information about herself, she completely remembered Do Hyun Woo, her childhood friend.

“Is that even possible?”

“Though uncertain, it seems likely that you held special memories or emotions towards Hyun Woo around the time of the accident.”

In the end, even the doctor admitted uncertainty.

‘Was she planning to confess today?’

Hyun Woo had a hunch.

Meanwhile, Chae Ah, who hadn’t fully grasped the situation yet,

Gripped tightly.

She clung to Hyun Woo’s hand anxiously.

“Since you haven’t forgotten everything, there’s a good chance you’ll regain your original memories.”

The doctor adjusted his glasses and looked at Hyun Woo.

“We’ll need Hyun Woo’s help.”

“Me?”

“Chae Ah must be very confused right now. In a state where nothing else is familiar, she feels comfortable only with Hyun Woo. Please assist her closely by observing and helping her recover her memories.”

“Isn’t there another way?”

“No. Unfortunately, we can’t offer much more assistance here.”

The doctor delivered his final diagnosis.

“I’ll prescribe some medication. Since there are only minor fractures, please return in a month to remove the casts. Until then, take sufficient rest and go home.”

With that, the doctor immediately left for the next patient.

“…”

A heavy silence enveloped the room.

How odd—a case of memory loss where only one person is remembered.

“Y-you, are you feeling alright?”

Unable to shake off the shock, Hyun Woo was the first to speak in place of her parents.

“I’m not sure. My arm hurts, my leg hurts, and my head feels dizzy. I don’t understand what happened…”

“Alright. That’s enough. Stop talking.”

Hyun Woo hugged the increasingly breathless Chae Ah and patted her back.

I wanted to ask why she didn’t come to the playground right after regaining consciousness, but in her current state, questioning her was out of the question. She needed rest immediately.

“Can you walk?”

“If you support me.”

“Of course, that goes without saying.”

Chae Ah had casts on her left ankle and right arm, but her injuries weren’t severe enough to require hospitalization.

“Then, let’s get up slowly and go home to rest.”

“Which home?”

“What?”

“Where are we going home to?”

“Naturally, your home…”

Hyun Woo stopped mid-sentence.

He originally thought it would be best for her to rest under her parents’ care, but the doctor’s words about proper attention lingered in his mind.

“…Would it be okay if you stayed at my place?”

As expected, Chae Ah hesitated before making such a suggestion.

“…”

Hyun Woo quietly turned his gaze to Chae Ah’s parents.

The two of them remained silent for a while after receiving his glance.

“Would that be more convenient?”

Chae Ah met her parents’ eyes and forced a shaky smile.

“…Yes.”

Chae Ah glanced away while answering.

Chae Ah’s mother almost lost her composure—since Chae Ah never used honorifics with her parents, it meant she truly forgot everything.

“If our daughter finds it convenient, then that’s what we’ll do. Anyway, we live next door, and Hyun Woo is a trustworthy child…”

Chae Ah’s mother gently took Hyun Woo’s hand.

“Hyun Woo, can I ask you a favor?”

“Yes?”

“Please take care of Chae Ah for a while. We’ll talk to Yeon Yi about it.”

“Actually, Mom would definitely approve…”

Hyun Woo’s mother had no reason to deny it.

It wasn’t like he was bringing a stranger home either—it was his childhood friend of 10 years who had been in an accident.

“Still, is it really okay?”

Hyun Woo’s concern wasn’t about parental permission.

His mother wasn’t even in the country due to her busy business schedule.

Going home now meant Chae Ah and Hyun Woo would be alone together.

Even for therapeutic purposes,

Wouldn’t it be better for the parents to take care of them instead of leaving a boy and girl close to adulthood alone?

“We trust Hyun Woo, so we’re handing her over to you. Chae Ah might find it difficult to return home in her current state.”

But Chae Ah’s mother’s determination was unwavering, thinking only of her daughter’s well-being.

Certainly, today was supposed to be the day he confessed his feelings and moved to the next stage of their relationship.

What on earth was happening?

“Alright. I’ll take care of her for a while.”

Despite the confusion, Hyun Woo accepted. After all, he couldn’t ignore the desperate look in Chae Ah’s mother’s eyes,

Not to mention, Chae Ah had been holding onto his hand tightly the whole time, as if she’d never let go.

And so began the unexpected cohabitation of Chae Ah, who only remembered Hyun Woo.