Strategy

“So that’s the reason? I know now!”

I get up on my bed and packed my clothes right away. After packing it I went out of my room. “Where are you going?” noona ask.

“Mom, I’ll be starting working at Together Children’s Home, okay? You won’t stop me, right? Mr. Lim, let’s go!” I enthusiastically said and pushed my luggage.

“Hey! Wait!” mom calls me that’s why I stopped. “Who said you can—”

“Mom, please?” I pleaded with my doe eyes and acting like a puppy.

“But baby…”

“Let him,” dad interrupted us. “What will he learn if you’ll cage him here? Let him explore what’s outside. It’s not like he’s still a kid,” he stated and I smiles. “Taehyun, always update your mom, okay? And take care, you get that?”

“Thanks dad! Mom, I promise I’ll be safe! I’ll eat a lot of foods and I will come home during weekends, okay? I love you all!”

Before leaving Seoul, I decided to went for shopping first both foods for kids, toys, and even new clothes. Now that I know why Beomgyu hyung is mad at me, I’ll do everything to let it subside.

Mission: help him forget his past and move forward for future! Okay! That was cool! HAHAHAHHAHA— sorry.

Anyway, I arrived at the orphanage at exactly right after the pupils’ class so they really enjoyed their new stuffs. I let Kazi facilitate those and by the way I already have a duplicate key of the room so I just put my things in there— hyung wasn’t there.

“Mrs. So, I’ll just go to Downtown,” I inform her and she just let me. She’s also grateful by what I brought.

I started walking down the streets and I don’t really feel anxious already about the people looking at me. I went to Dr. Kai’s clinic and good thing he doesn’t have any patient at the moment.

“Oh, what brings you here? When did you got here?” he welcomes me with a pleasing smile.

“Doc Kai,” I call him. “Can we talk about Beomgyu hyung’s youthful days?” I smiles.

“Huh?” he gasps in surprise. “Well I don’t think—”

I brush a thick envelope on the table and I’m still smiling at him, “You see, I really want to be a friend of him. Can you help me?”

He chuckles, “Are you bribing me right now?”

“Bribe? Of course not!” I denied. “It’s for your future patients who cannot afford for medication. What bribe are you talking about,” I pouted and looks away from him.

“Well if it’s to help the patient then…” he accepted the envelop and keep it under the table. “I will gladly help,” he smiles.

“So who is the person that looks like me who broke hyung’s heart? No, actually I am not sure if he’s a best friend or a lover— ah no, I really think it’s a past-lover. So, who?” I ask simultaneously.

“How did you know about that?”

“So I’m right? It’s really his ex, right!? Aigoo, he cannot move on—”

Dr. Kai cuts me off, “No, I meant how you knew he looks like you?”

“He told me,” I answered. “So? Why? Who?”

“Truthfully, I didn’t really see him. Beomgyu showed me some pictures before but it was just him in there but he said that they took the picture together,” he explained.

“How is it possible?” I wonder.

Dr. Kai shrugged his shoulders, “I’m also curious,” he affirms. “And he don’t really talk about it but!”

“But? Why? What?” I move closer to him.

“It was his ex.”

My jaw drops and nods slowly. “I’m right…” I snap my fingers. “So, he hasn’t move on yet?”

“Maybe?”

“And it was five years ago?”

“He died, remember? How can he move on?” Dr. Kai said.

“Oh,” I reacted. “You’re right… He must be really lonely when he left him…”

The door suddenly opens and we both sight Beomgyu hyung by the door. “Why are you here?” he asks me.

“C-Checkup? Oh, right I was just asking something,” I reasoned.

“No, why did you come back in here?” he asks me again.

“Why not?” I ask back and stand up properly. “Thank you for that Doc Kai! I’ll be back for sure!” I said and bid my goodbye before passing by Beomgyu and went out of the room then close the door.

“You went by the shore again?” I heard Doc Kai asks. “You should take a rest already, Beomgyu.”

“I’ll be fine,” Beomgyu replied.

“It’s been three years and what are you going to do with Taehyun?”

“Which Taehyun?”

“Taehyun who just left the room. He wants to be your friend,” Dr. Kai replied.

“And what? I’ll just end up remembering what happened if I keep seeing his face.”

Now that hurts.

How worst that Taehyun who has the same name as mine and even looks the same as me did to Beomgyu hyung? I’m feeling hopeless again. Can I really make him forget about that guy?

How can I if in everytime he looks at me, he’ll reminds him of the past?

I sigh and completely walk away from the clinic. I start walking back uphill when I heard cries coming from a kid and there’s also a voice of an old man.

I walk closer to where it is coming and I saw this old man pulling the boy’s arm and constantly hitting him with his hand. I run towards them and grab the boy from him.

“What are you doing, ahjussi!?” I yelled at him. I face the kid and his face has bruises and cuts.

“Hey, get out in here. This is a matter between me and my son,” he stated and tried to grab his son from me.

I pulled the kid behind my back and face his father. “Son? What kind of father does this to his son!? I’m going to report you—”

My eyes widen when I received that hard slap from this old man. I can feel its sting, I felt my cheek went numb and I froze there for a second. No once even slap me. Ever.

“You son of a bitch!” I curse him and tried to attack him but giving how weak I am, I didn’t even touch him and I received another slap from him.

At that one, I heard that static sound again inside my head. What the heck, am I gonna pass out? Argh, my ear hurts.

“Stop it, dad!”

“I’m really going to tie you up this time, you rascal!”

“Dad?” I whispered and I lost my balance that made me lean against the wall. “W-why is dad hitting me?”

“Kang Taehyun!” I heard someone’s voice and warm hand hold my arm. “You!” he shouted at the man and I saw him grabs his collar and they started arguing at each other and then cops village cops arrived.

“Why did you let him slaps you twice?” Beomgyu hyung asks me while he’s treating my cut inside our room.

Was it dad I really saw? No, my dad won’t hit me like that. But damn.

“That man’s already at police custody and his son will be staying in here for a while because we found out that his mother already died,” he continued.

It wasn’t even my dad’s voice. Now that I thought of it, it’s one of the voices I constantly hear shouting and cursing at me—

“Kang Taehyun?”

“Huh?” I stares at Beomgyu after I heard him calling my name. “A-are you saying something? I’m sorry.”

“Hey, are you really okay? Want to have a checkup?” he suggested.

I smile, “No worries. I’m fine and thank you,” I expressed.

He sighs, “Why did you really come back in here? Look, not even the day ended and you almost passed out again,” he stated.

“I’m sorry… and actually that’s the main reason why I’m here,” I answered. “My doctor said my environment will help me regain my memories it’s just that I might pass out from time to time,” I added and hold his hand. “Please, don’t tell mom about this.”

He didn’t reply for a while and stares at my hand that’s holding his. I felt his thumb gently rubbing a part of my hand. Beomgyu hyung directed his eyes at me. “Taehyun… don’t make things hard for yourself,” he stated.

“But I want to,” I contradicted. “I want to be your friend. I don’t know if who knows about your feelings inside this building but I can feel how lonely you are,” I added.

“Do you pity me?”

I quickly shakes my head, “No, no of course not,” I answered. “I’m here to help you while you help me as well. I’m asking you a favour to help me regain my memories,” I asked.

He purses his lips and pulled his hand from me then he take a stand from where he’s sitting. “It’s not easy as what you think. I already accepted things about my past—”

“But why can’t you move forward?”

There’s silence between us. I stand up as well and move closer behind him. “I came here because not only to regain my memories but to take back my youth as well,” I started. “It’s hard knowing how some of my friends are already professionals while here I am— still acting likes an immature one. My mind is still set at being eighteen. I didn’t get the chance to enjoy being at a university, I didn’t get the chance to have fun while studying. T-that’s why, I wanted to do it in here. I wanted to be youthful again,” I finally expressed my feelings and reasons.

He turns around and our eyes meet— those lonely eyes of his again. Now I know why it does feels like he’s looking at someone else whenever he looks at me and it is because there’s really someone else that reminds him of me.

That’s kinda painful one.

“I’m sorry but I’ll really appreciate if you just stay away from me, Taehyun. I’m really sorry.”

DR. KAI— THE DEITY: HUENING

“A doctor, really? You? Doctor? Sighs. Well, you’re really a healer…”

“Did you visited Choi Beomgyu’s grandmother?” Huening, The Deity who’s facing his usual city lights view while on skyscraper asks Yeonjun that’s behind him.

“Hmm yeah…”

“Why? Who told you can visit her?”

Yeonjun lick his lowerlip and breathe out first, “I just help her, I didn’t do anything,” he defended.

“Don’t do that again and just focus on what is tasked to you, get that?” The deity reminds him in his calm voice.

“Yes Deity, apologies,” Yeonjun lowers his head to apologize. “How about Taehyun? When will he regain his memories?”

“It’ll takes time,” the Deity answers. “Taehyun needs to enjoy himself while helping Beomgyu.”

“Helping Beomgyu with what? I totally don’t get it, Deity. You removed Taehyun’s memory and Beomgyu’s in total hatred right now because of what happened. What do you mean Taehyun will help him?” Yeonjun confusedly asks the god.

“Taehyun needs to succeed on helping Beomgyu first, that’s only when Taehyun’s story will start. Taehyun needs to help Beomgyu so that Beomgyu could help Taehyun back.”