"Do you know what your name is?" I asked.
"Yes." The woman answered.
"What is it?"
"Ja Nee."
Truth.
"Okay, hold these." I handed the bouquet purely out of jasmine flowers. "What do you think?"
"I like it."
"That's it?"
"Hmm, I like it."
The woman leaned onto her white garden bench and hugged the bouquet.
I also leaned back and covered my eyes with my palms. It's only been a day since I talked to this beautiful woman yet I'm tired already.
They treat me right here. They bring the meal and tea in this table in the middle of a covered garden dome. Both of us are surrounded by different flowers and plants.
I don't look like I belong here as I'm wearing the pants and shirt from the night before. While the woman, Ja Nee, wears a long floral white evening dress with her wavy hair flowing on her shoulder.
She's so beautiful.
No doubt, she's definitely Joshua's mother.
"Why? Is face of mine has mistake?" Ja Nee asked with a broken Korean.
"No no no. You're pretty."
"Ahhh sweet." She smiled back to her flowers. Is she the fairy in this garden?
The night when Nico abducted me, he asked for a very simple task yet I doubt it highly.
"How about you team up with me, huh, my nephew?"
"Why would I do that?"
"In exchange, I'll prevent Hansol from hurting Jisoo, hmm?"
"Hansol??"
"Yeah. As you know, he has the strongest urge to be the next mafia boss more than any of the current capo. He'll do anything, even if he needs to hurt your lover."
"What do you want me to do?"
"Just tell me if my girlfriend is lying."
"Eew. Are you seriously involving your nephew with you petty lover's quarrel?"
"Hmm, I thought you would like to keep Jisoo safe, and meet her mother."
"What?"
"Jisoo's mother happened to be my girlfriend, you see."
"I can't see, I'm blindfolded. But that's it?"
"That's it!"
"I'll just have to tell you if she is lying and you'll keep Joshua safe?"
"You'll just have to tell me if she's lying and I will stop Hansol from hurting Hong Jisoo."
It sounds very enticing, right?
I just need to help Joshua's mother to recover from her dissociative amnesia.
Nico told me that she suffered severe trauma and pain and now lost the her hurtful memories.
The thing is, I don't think I should be doing this. I don't think we should force her into remembering.
But why did she forget about her own son?
Every time I look at miss Ja Nee, I miss Joshua so much. I held him into my arms but he was bleeding to death. I hope he's awake now. I hope I can get over with this and go back to him.
Maybe, I can bring miss Ja Nee to Joshua.
The gate to the garden opened and Nico entered with a boy behind him.
"How are you, my nephew?"
"Stop calling me that."
"Hmm. How is my Ja Nee?"
"Nam Kyu!" She spread her arms without standing to wait for Nico's hug.
I also learned today that Nico's real name is Nam Kyu. It's so weird to hear it but what can I do.
I noticed the boy behind him and I immediately pointed my gun at him.
"Ahhh!!" Ja Nee covered her head.
"Jeonghan! You're scaring her."
"I'm sorry, Miss Ja Nee. Stay calm. But this boy right here. He's dangerous. What are you doing here, Vernon?"
"I should be the one asking that." He answered calmly.
"Rest, my nephew."
"I said stop calling me that, annoying old fart."
"Oh, language. Hansol's here to help you."
"Huh?"
"Jeonghan, I didn't know you would betray Joshua like this." Vernon shrugged his shoulder.
"I'm doing this for him. What's happening?"
"I asked Hansol to pick up the jasmine."
"Jasmine!" Ja Nee raised her bouquet again.
"Yes, my love. The jasmine." Nico brushed her hair.
"Wait wait. There's no way Joshua would hand him the jasmine. You lied to me, Nico." I pointed the gun at him instead.
"Jeonghan, I didn't pick this up personally. My men did. And don't worry, he's not hurt. He was still unconscious when they went there." Vernon explained, again, calmly.
"Really, huh. And why do you need the jasmine?"
"You're really clueless, huh? Funny. And you tell me you do this to protect Joshua." Vernon threw the laminated jasmine at me.
"What am I supposed to do with this?" I asked.
"I told you, help me recover Ja Nee's memories."
I looked at the laminated photo and approached Jas.
"Hey, miss Ja Nee." I walked closer.
"Huh. Good luck. I'm off." Vernon waved his hand and walked away.
"There's something I want to show you." I presented the photo to her.
"Hmm?" She took it and stared at it.
"Oh.. Seung Su?" She paused, and repeated "Seung Su." She crumpled her hair and hugged the laminated paper.
"What's wrong?" I hugged Ja Nee and patted her back.
"Migraine. I think. It-" she then paused and stared at a far.
"Yes. This is it." Nico smiled horrifyingly.
"Seung Su. I should be with Seung Su."
"Jeonghan, do your job."
"Ugh." I turned to Jas
"Hi. Are you Jas?"
"Yes."
"What do you remember?"
"Seung Su. I want him."
Truth.
"That's it. She remembers now that she's Jas." I told Nico. "That's it?"
"If it's not because of that child!" Jas threw the paper on the floor and stomped on it repeatedly.
"Hey, what now. Calm down!"
"I can be with Seung Su. Together, we're powerful. If only I wasn't pregnant. If only."
"What are you talking about? Not pregnant, are you kidding?"
"I killed him, right?" Jas turned to Nico, who instantly changed his face to fake sad.
"Well, Jas.."
"Tell me! I killed the kid, right?"
"Uhm, killed?" Jas is seriously terrifying me now. Where did the innocent Ja Nee go?
"I need to kill Seung Su's child! So I can have his whole attention. We can rule South Korea's underworld together. I killed the child."
"You killed your.."
"I tried to kill that child. Did I kill him, Nico? Did I?!"
"Oh Jas.. I'm afraid you didn't. That child is alive."
"Fine! Then I'll kill him." Jas walked away.
Why.
Why is she telling her truth?
A/N: Hi! So I was talking about the dissociative amnesia, specifically. And yes, Nico is such an ass here. He purposely tried to trigger Jas' memories. What's needed to go first is to address the cause of the amnesia.
I originally wanted to write a Jihan ff involving the dissociative amnesia, but I'd rather not. Then I decided, how about make it as a part of a story? And 'the jasmine' came up.
It's not always like that irl. Like it's not just one thing that can pull up one's memory from the depths.
I just wanted to say this one hahaha.
Hope you guys liked this update. Stay amazing! Drink water, not alcohol. 💕
