Comfortable.

Yes, I feel really comfortable right now. More precisely, I feel comfortable in his embrace.

But why? How is it that I feel so at ease in the arms of someone that I don't even know?

No. This isn't right.

I forcefully shove his body away from mine, breaking our embrace. He then looks at me with a gaze I find hard to describe, but deep within me, I can sense his disappointment with my action.

But why should I care about his feelings? What matters now is the truth. I demand, "What do you mean by what you just said? What do you mean Jiyeon and I are the same person?"

"Every person surely has their own world, a world that makes them confused between imagination and reality, and you were trapped in that world. Jiyeon? She's just a character in your own created world. You bring to life what doesn't exist and manipulate your own thoughts. Jiyeon is indeed a part of your true self. But she's also a place you dump all those memories you wanna erase and forget." said Taehyung, his voice is calm despite of the gravity of his words, as if he had been witnessing this truth for a long time and finally able to let it out.

"You mean... my life has just been a hallucination and all my memories with Jiyeon is fake?" I exclaimed, my voice laced with disbelief.

"Life?" He chuckled softly, his voice tinged with sarcasm. "...if you call your current state as 'life'."

"What's wrong with my current state?" My voice cracked with desperation, the echoes reverberating against the nonexistent walls. "WHAT'S WRONG WITH MY LIFE?"

He seemed to have begun to lose his patience with me, also raising his voice in frustration. "YOU WERE LANGUISHING IN THE HOSPITAL FOR A MONTH NOW, LOCKED IN A BATTLE WITH DEATH BECAUSE OF YOUR OWN ACTION!" He paused, trying to hold back his emotions before continuing with a pointed intensity, "At that very moment, you chose death without hesitation even a bit, but now, suddenly, you cling to life?"

"I chose death?" I muttered in confusion, my memory a foggy abyss, I don't remember anything. Yet, as I gazed upon my hand, witnessing it slowly fading, once again disbelief gripped me. "Andwae...andwae..." I whispered, fear coiling around my heart like a suffocating serpent.

As if sensing the torment I'm experiencing inside, he suddenly grasped my hand and gently caressed it, seemingly comforting and assuring me that it's still there, even though it's nearly vanished from view now. While at it, his lips moving, still explaining, "After your spirit left your body, you started hallucinating that you have a twin. I know you were like that because you want to escape from that pain.The pain that you weren't able to escape even after you chose death. The pain that you no longer feel in your created world, but Jiyeon did."

With a hesitant gaze, I lifted my face. "How do I know you're not deceiving me? I don't know you. How can you be sure I'll trust you?"

"You can trust me this time. Because I... " His words trailed off, his expression revealing the pain he harbored within. And finally, while looking deeply into my eyes, he said it...

"Because I am the memories and the pain that you most desperately wish to forget."

Flashback
-2 years ago, 17 years old Jieun's POV-

"Woof woof," Mochi's sudden cheerful bark compelled me to glance downward. With a wagging tail, Mochi nudged my leg, enticing me to join her game. Her and I exchanged glances, as if silently debating who would run first. At last, I sprang to my feet, giggling as I dashed off, with Mochi in hot pursuit.

With a joyful grin, I engaged in a game of tag with Mochi at this park near my house, this weekend morning. I gestured to Mochi, encouraging her to keep chasing me. Eagerly, I hastened towards the heart of the park to evade Mochi, only to stumble over a concealed rock, resulting in my knees meeting the ground with a sharp thud.

"Are you alright?" A masculine voice pierced through my ears, drawing my attention. I looked up, squinting against the sunlight that veiled the face of the guy standing before me.

"I'm fine. Not feeling any pain," I answered, though I was lying through my teeth. Only God knows how much my knees ache right now. Despite that, I brushed off the dirt from them, trying to ignore the pain.

At that moment, the guy reached out his hand to me. I gazed at his outstretched hand as he uttered, "Let me help you up."

Absorbed in the moment, I embraced his gesture, placing my hand in his. With a firm grip, he effortlessly pulled me to my feet. And in that moment, his entire visage finally came into my view.

Good-looking?

Absolutely!

Yet, it was his captivating eyes that drew me in the most-deep, azure-black orbs.

Who is he? How could a man possess such mesmerizing eyes? Perhaps he's actually an angel? Or maybe an Alien? Vampire? Or exquisite spirit from another world?

Suddenly, as if he could read my thoughts, he extended his hand for a handshake and introduced himself. "Nice to meet you. My name is Kim Taehyung. A human."

"Kim...Tae...hyung...?" Waa~ Even his name sounds nice! Without my realizing, I was lost in the depths of his eyes, unable to look away until he blinked, breaking the spell. Blood flooded my cheeks as I snapped back to reality, realizing my embarrassing behavior.

"By the way, thank you for helping me earlier. I must go now." I blurted out hastily, feeling like a speeding bullet train as I turned and briskly walked away.

"Ugh, that was so embarrassing! What if he thinks I was flirting with him just now? This is Lee Jieun, the prettiest girl in the 12th batch of Seoul International High School, aka the queen of the 'Sorry, not interested' club, always turning down suitors left and right. If they catch wind that I was the one making the moves, how can I ever show my face again?!" I groaned, burying my face in my hands, feeling the heat of embarrassment radiating through me. But then, a lightbulb moment hits me like a slap in the face. "Wait, what if he saw my face turning red earlier? Arghhh!! Jieun-ah, you are so doomed! (⁠T⁠T⁠) "

"Woof woof! " Mochi's bark echoes from behind me. Oh no, Mochi! How could I have forgotten about my beloved pet, all because of that guy? I then turned around to look for Mochi. But to my surprise, I see Mochi in the hands of that very guy.(⁠T⁠T⁠)

Quickly, I turned my face to the side. I can't let him see my flushed cheeks. But how do I hide it? An idea strikes. "I got it!" "I muttered, with a tiny smirk on the edge of my lips.

Confidently, I began to deftly loosen the hair tie, letting my long locks spill down in a graceful cascade, like in a shampoo commercial. With a swift motion, I bent my head down, veiling my face behind the curtain of my hair, and stride toward him. But as fate would have it, because I couldn't see clearly ahead, my head, in turn, collided with his solid chest.

Oh no, even more embarrassment! Ottokhae! Ottokhae ottokhae ~(⁠T⁠T⁠)

Stop! Now's not the time for me to dwell on another matter. What's important now, I have to escape from this guy as fast as possible. Without looking at his face, I swiftly snatched Mochi from his hand and bolted away without a second glance.

"Hey, wait!" To my surprise, his voice boomed, reverberating through the air. Oh my, what else does this guy want?!! "My name is Taehyung! Kim Taehyung! What's yours?" He continued. Mwoya~ Didn't he already tell me his name earlier? Is he planning to haunt my life with his name or something?

But then...I felt my cheeks flushing even deeper now as people in the park began casting glances my way, definitely due to that guy's outburst. "Ugh! What luck I have today." I muttered under my breath, quickening my pace.

Meanwhile, the guy I just left behind stoops to pick up something from the ground - something that belongs to me. A subtle smile tugs at his lips as he watches me dash away with my long hair dancing in the breeze.

"Kiyeowo~" he giggled, then reached for his cheeks, which had been feeling hot since earlier. Little did I know, his face was as red as a ripe tomato now, just like mine.

And thus, that was my first encounter with the one and only Kim Taehyung in my life.

Quote for this chapter:

"In life, there is no such thing as coincidence. There are only encounters that have been set up."
- Haruki Murakami -

To Be Continued...

Total: 1488 words