Savage || Lee Haechan

Chapter 32 | "try again"

"What's my name?"

"Taeil. Your name is Taeil and you're the medic with Shotaro."

"Good." The older boy nodded, writing something down on the pad in front of him. "So you're not having any short term memory loss and it seems like you're retaining all the information we're giving you. Now it's just about getting back what you've lost."

"Do you think it's possible?" Minji asked nervously.

"To be honest, I don't know. I'm hopeful but it might take a while. For now, we just need to keep trying, and as always, if you feel any pain or discomfort, we'll stop. I don't want to risk your health by putting too much pressure on you." The boy said with a smile.

"Thanks, Taeil."

"No problem, so why don't we keep trying, hmm?" She nodded eagerly, sitting up straighter in her bed. "Bring them in!"

At Taeil's command, the door opened and two boys walked in with nervous but excited smiles on their faces.

"Hi Jisung." She said happily as he took a seat next to her, a bright smile instantly illuminating his face. "And.... I'm sorry but I don't remember your name."

"It's alright." Said the other boy, fighting back the sadness in his eyes. "I'm Chenle."

"Chenle. Got it." She said with an apologetic nod. "So I'd assume you joined when the gangs apparently merged?"

"That's right. I'm a hacker with Jisung." He said cheerily, turning to Taeil for instructions.

"Alright Chenle, I want to see if she can remember you. Just start telling her about yourself and your interactions. How you met, things you've done together, etc. try to spark a memory." Taeil instructed. "I'll just be here to observe and make sure she's not getting overwhelmed."

"Got it."

"What should I do?" Jisung asked.

"You two are so attached at the hip that im hoping having you around will help spark something. Maybe since she remembers you, there will be some newer memories tied to you." Taeil suggested with a shrug. "Honestly just trying anything right now."

"That's fine, I need all the help I can get." She laughed out. "Go ahead, Chenle."

"Well let's see. We met formally after the gang merge and you drove me to school." Chenle began. "I was very scared of you, but you were surprisingly nice. I remember I told you about the sore spot on Haechan's shoulder."

"Haechan is the guy who went hysterical when you couldn't remember him a few days ago." Jisung added, seeing the confusion on her face.

"Right. Keep going."

"I think you probably thought I was a bit... energetic to say the least, but you still were really nice to me." He continued. "It meant a lot to feel like you were my first friend from the other gang, I was so worried but you made me feel comfortable."

Her eyes softened at the confession, reaching out to give the boy's hand a tight squeeze.

"And then there were the bullies." Chenle shifted uncomfortably in his seat, Jisung quickly patting his shoulder reassuringly. "They dragged me out in front of the school and we're beating me up. They gave me a black eye and cut up my face and I thought they were going to hit me until I blacked out b-but then you showed up."

Something shifted in Minji's expression, causing Taeil to sit up a bit straighter.

"You came over and-"

"Wait Chenle." Taeil quickly walked over and sat beside her, cutting off the younger boy. "Minji, do you remember something?"

She sat still for a moment, her eyes unfocused as she felt her mind spinning. She didn't remember specifically but there was some sort of distant feeling at the back of her head. Some oddly familiar words on the tip of her tongue. She chased the feeling, willing it to expand and grow.

"Maybe... I- AH."

She clutched onto her head as pain shot through her skull. All the boys were quickly on their feet, she could hear their shouts of concern but her head was spinning too much to make them out. She tried to shake it off, but then stopped as images flashed through her head before the pain abruptly stopped.

"Your lip was bleeding." She whispered under her breath.

"What?" Taeil asked, unable to hear her.

"Your lip was bleeding." She said louder, turning to look at Chenle. "And you had a cut under your left eye."

Chenle and Jisung shared an astonished look, the Chinese boy nodded enthusiastically.

"They'd knocked you on the ground so you had gravel in your hands. You had a bloody nose, a busted lip, and cuts on your cheek." She recounted quickly. "There was a crowd around you but no one did anything."

"This is good." Taeil said excitedly, sending a quick message to Taeyong and writing more things down.

"It made me mad. The bully was so much bigger. I-I yelled at him, right? Told him to pick on someone his own size then twisted his arm. I threatened him and then he left you alone." She said excitedly, the whole scene slowly forming in her head. "And then I invited you to start hanging out with Sungchan, Jeno, and I and that's how you became friends with Jisung!"

"Oh my god!"

Chenle leaped out of his seat, squeezing her in a tight hug which Jisung joined in on.

"You remember that?" Chenle asked excitedly.

"I remember more than that, I remember you!" She exclaimed, all her encountered with the Chinese boy hitting her like a flood. "Game nights, the time you helped me hack Sungchan's phone and turn everything pink, changing my height in the school system to make me taller. Everything!"

"What happened?"

The door slammed open and Taeyong ran into the room.

"I got your text, is she okay?" He asked Taeil nervously.

"Better than okay," Taeil replied. "She remembers Chenle now!"

"Are you kidding?" He asked, astonished.

"Nope!"

"That's amazing!" He exclaimed with a smile. "So do you think she'll get all her memory back?"

"Nothing is guaranteed but this gives me hope. Once she remembered one thing, she remembered everything about him. We just need to figure out what triggers it." Taeil said. "Let's give you a break, this has got to be a lot."

She nodded, smiling at the boys as they left her room.

"I'll be back tomorrow to try again. Get some rest, Minji, good job." Taeil said, dipping his head to her and walking out.

She sighed, her head throbbing but she didn't care. Finally, after almost a week of trying, she'd finally had a breakthrough.

Sorry this chapter isn't that great, I was very rushed lol. I wasn't planning to update for a few more days since I'm busy but I saw that I hit 300 followers today, so I knew I had to write something as a quick thank you! I hope all of you are enjoying my writing!