The Blinded Memory (one-shot)

From the childish girl, turn into gorgeous lady.

From the gentle boy, turn into pathetic man.

From her gloomy past, into her bright present.

From his colorful past, into destroyed present.

The world is dynamic, they said. Everybody's changing, whether into a better or a worse state. 

He's watching tentatively into someone who used to be his mirror. But now she turns to be someone else, someone better, and he just become her shadow. Her shadow, only. 

A skinny tall man with messy hair sitting calmly on the sofa in front of television. Bunch of alcohol bottle spread all over the room. He looks calm outside but he was boiling inside. The sight on the television makes his heart shattered in piece successfully. Watching the familiar face displayed on the night TV show brings back his memory about five years ago. How his stupidity and recklessness make his life miserable after her gone.

A young but mature lady sits elegantly on the sofa in the studio. She glances slightly at the camera and pursed a smile on her beautiful face. She listens carefully what the interviewer asks and start to prepare her answer. Her success as a famous travel writer makes her become a guest on the most popular night TV Show in Korea. Who wouldn't admire a lady like her? She was smart, independent, beautiful, and success. Just simply gorgeous and adorable.

"Seohyun-ssi, when did you start to write a travel story?" the interviewer asked her.

"I started this since I was still in university, I like to travel and make a note whenever I have the journey," Seohyun calmly explain.

"Then, who is the first person who suggest you to be the travel writer?" ask the host curiously.

A man who sits in front of the television was waiting anxiously, waiting for her answer. Deep inside his heart, he was wishing that it was him. But another part of his heart screams "Impossible, you've been hurt her so badly."

Seohyun takes a deep breath. This question reminds her about the man who used to be her lover. He was her senior at the campus. Both of them are really like travelling. They used to have a city tour, mountain biking and touring,  cruising the beautiful beaches, and all other tourist attractions. She was really like to write about anything back then,  but the very first person who suggested her to be the travel writer was him.

"He was my first love. He used to be my senior in campus who became my lover, just before he left me for no reason," Seohyun's words were becoming a sharp knife which stabbed his heart mercilessly.

At that moment, he considers to either switching the channel or turning off the television.  He just can't hold this sick feeling.  But part of his heart screaming and craving for the sight of his (ex) girlfriend and curious about her life after he suddenly left her.

"Then, who is the person who support you the most,  up until now?"

"My biggest gratitude belonged to my family, especially my parents, Im Yoona my best friends, and..." Seohyun hang her words.

"... my husband" she takes a deep breath before finally let out the word of the special person.

The man in front of television can't hold his tears from falling. After all the years of having Seohyun on his arm, in the end he isn't somebody who gets a right to have her. He opened another bottle of beer and take a gulp of it. He remembers one day on a bright summer.

"Yong Oppa, I really want to buy those DSLR camera, I really like photography nowadays," Seohyun said while pointing a camera at the store.

"Then, you should start to save money from now. So you can buy those camera that you want as soon as possible," he answered.

The next day, he came back into the same store that he visited yesterday with Seohyun, but this time he goes there alone. He asks to the shopkeeper about the price of the camera that Seohyun want. He knows that that kind of camera would be so expensive but honestly he didn't expect it will cost $1400.

Seohyun's 22 birthday will be coming in four months but he was so eager to give such a wonderful gift for the girl that he loved. He was thinking of giving her dream camera as a gift. But he doesn't have that much money in his pocket. 'I should get a job', he thinks.

People always said that if there is a will, there is a way. Yonghwa believes that statement. And his faith brings him to a job as a field surveyor. Unfortunately, that job requires a lot of time and need a high mobility to travel from one place to another. His time will be run out for campus life and working. But what about Seohyun? He thinks that it was the right time to play Mildang, the push and pull in a relationship. He will suddenly disappear from Seohyun for a while and will be back right at Seohyun's birthday as a surprise. That was perfectly romantic, he thought.

He stands in front of Seohyun's home right on her birthday. A box of the present was in his right hand while his left hand holds a bucket of roses. He was going to ring the bell but his eyes catch a glimpse of a big board which hang on the fence. The sentences which written on the board explains that her home was banned and seizured by some giant company. He can't believe what he saw. He wonders what happen on Seohyun in his four whole months missing.

Worry was gripping his heart tightly as he dialed Seohyun's number to make sure that she was okay. He dialled for several times already but the operator of cellular kept saying that her number was off. Suddenly, Im Yoona's name popped in his mind. She's Seohyun's best friend. She should have known what's going on and where Seohyun was.

He was expecting a warm welcome from Yoona since he's also quite close with her. But Yoona just treat her coldly and full of hatred.

"You're the cruelest man in the world Jung Yonghwa! How could you disappear and reappear as you wish without thinking about Seohyun's condition? Don't you ever dare to dream to find her! You better get lost!" Yoona bark at him.

Unknown to him, Seohyun's parents gone bankrupt several days after their last date. Her family company was having a big amount of debts that she even need to hunt for scholarship here and there because her family doesn't have enough money for paying the tuition of the university.

The best word to explain Yonghwa's condition was "regret". He regrets why was he always turn down Seohyun's calling when actually she needs him the most. He must know that in those kind of condition, what Seohyun need is him. Just him. Not his gift, not the camera either. She needs somebody to accompany her in her darkest moment. She needs somebody who would cheer and support in her lowest state. But where he was? What he has done? Playing stupid pull and push? Having a part time job with a tight schedule without even telling her about his news? Just suddenly disappear. You're such a pabo Jung Yonghwa! The stupidest man ever!

On the next day, he reads the announcement board in the campus. Actually he's not typical of people who attentively read the announcement. But this time, he has a big urge to walk into that place where any kind of campus information announced. His intuition guide him to find a name among hundreds of names which accepted a scholarship from Harvard University. He reads the announcement for several times to believe that Seohyun's name was there. Seohyun accepted a scholarship at Harvard. He can't believe what he saw.

"No, it can't be," he muttered.

It's not because he doesn't happy for her achievement but he doesn't get to say any words to her. What makes him become sadder was the fact that the scholarship receiver was leaving Korea last night. It's last night. How could he misses such a big news like this. As if he reads this announcement earlier. He could have sent her to the airport. As if, just as if.... He experiences multiple regrets and guilts.

"She deserves that achievement. She's been working and study hard in this past few months. Unfortunately her stupid boyfriend left her just when she was in her weakest point," Yoona said as she sees Yonghwa's shocked face in front of announcement board.

"I don't leave her! I swear to God, I don't leave her!" Yonghwa screamed angrily. It's true that he never has any intention to leave her, moreover in her helpless situation.

"Then what?" Yoona lose her patience. She knows exactly how Seohyun cry every night after her parent's bankrupt. It's right if Seohyun always look tough and strong but still, she's fragile. Yoona's question successfully brings Yonghwa on his silence.

"You left Seohyun and now Seohyun left you. Isn't that fair enough?" Yoona said in a sarcastic tone.

"No! I'll get her back. I'll wait for her no matter what and no matter how long," Yonghwa said optimistically.

Keeping his words, he stays still and waiting for his Seohyun to come back. A month, a year, and so on, up until now, in this current time when he watches her on the television screen. She's coming back. Yeah, she's coming back.

The next thing that he watches on television was the most terrifying sight for him. It shows that her husband entering the studio while carrying a tiny baby. He kisses her smooth cheek and sits along with her in the studio sofa.

"They are the best motivator for me," Seohyun said while smiling brightly.

Tears streaming down Yonghwa frustrated face freely. What can he do now? What will he do now? He couldn't find the answer. His only reason to hold on was her. He was waiting for her to come back. And now when she's finally coming back, he lost her. He lost her forever.

The next thing that he saw on the television was Seohyun happily telling the story about her first met with her husband. The things that he doesn't want to know. With all energy that he have, he throws an empty bottle to the TV set. It broke down. Just like his heart which completely broke down.