✓ TOO REAL TO DENY | SUNGHOON

45 - Invisible Strings

Y/N'S POV

Two days had passed since I woke up. Two days of trying to live my life from chapter one. The doctors said it could take time for my memory to fully return, if it ever does. In the meantime, my mother and grandmother have been by my side, trying to fill in the gaps in my memory with stories and photos. But there's one person conspicuously absent from the room - Sunghoon. 

My mother says she doesn't know much about him, that I never really mentioned him apart from being a friend. She says Sunghoon himself said he was my friend, that we lived in the same place and were roommates. That says a lot, knowing he's the one who saved me. His presence in my life wasn't just fleeting, I realize; it was significant. Yet, as much as my family tries to paint a picture of him, there are still blank spaces in the canvas of my memory where his image should be.

"Where is Sunghoon?" I hesitantly ask my mother while she helps me take my insulin shot. It appears I have diabetes, something I never thought would be a part of my life. Then again, I don't even remember my life before waking up in that hospital bed.

"He had to leave," She says softly and I wince when the needle pierces my skin. "He's apparently the heir of a well-known family and he needed to get back to work. I didn't know your roommate was so important."

Her explanation leaves me with more questions than answers. "Heir of a well-known family?" I repeat, trying to make sense of it all. "Since when did I have a roommate like that?"

My mother's brow furrows slightly, a thoughtful expression crossing her features. "You and Sunghoon have been roommates for a while now, Y/N. When Sarah moved out, you moved in with him." Sarah? The name makes me frown until my head starts to ache. Sarah... why does that name sound familiar? I try to grasp at the memory, but it slips through my fingers like water. "Sarah was your best friend and roommate before you two parted ways. You've known her for years." 

Ah. Well, that explains why the name sounded familiar. But I don't find it in me to think of someone who has been so important to me, only to suddenly part ways. I settle back against the pillows, the bandages around my head making me feel a dull ache. My mother tells me that I was working in a well-known company, and the CEO even sent me flowers and get-well cards. She tells me I have a dog that was also in the accident and he's now recovering. It's overwhelming to hear about the life I had before waking up in this hospital bed, and yet it all feels so distant and surreal. 

The last thing I can remember is being in high school, living with both my mother and my grandmother and still trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. Now, here I am, supposedly with a job in a well-known company, a best friend named Sarah whom I parted ways with, and a roommate named Sunghoon who is apparently the heir to a prominent family. If that's not overwhelming, I don't know what is. I remember loving books and this indeed is a plot twist worthy of one. But unlike the protagonists in those stories, I don't have the luxury of turning the page to reveal the next chapter.

Lost in my thoughts, I barely notice when the door creaks open, and a woman steps inside. I turn towards her and my heart does something I can't quite explain. There's a flicker of recognition, a spark of familiarity in her eyes that tugs at something deep within me. She's not a stranger, I know that much. 

"Hey, Y/N," She says and smiles a little. She's beautiful, very beautiful, in fact. The way she hesitantly approaches me and the way her eyes are glistening with unshed tears tells me that she knows me, that she cares about me deeply. I think I remember, not exactly her, but the fact that I had a best friend who was very beautiful, just so like her. I can't remember her name or how she looked, but I think it's this woman standing in front of me because, before I know it, she wraps her arms around me and starts crying. 

I'm dumbfounded, to say the least, but I find myself resting my hands against her back. She smells of honey and lavender, a fragrance that triggers a faint memory in the depths of my mind. It's elusive, but when her warm embrace sends a chill down my spine, I know there's something else, a feeling that lingers just out of reach.

"Who... are you?" When she pulls away, I look into her eyes only to find utter confusion mirrored in them. She blinks rapidly, as if trying to process my question, and then her expression softens with a sad smile.

"You don't remember me?" I grip the sheets a little tighter, my heart sinking at the thought of not being able to recall such an important person in my life. Though, why she's important, I can't seem to grasp. 

"You're my best friend... right?" I hesitantly say the words, my heart racing inside my chest. She must be, otherwise, why is she here, holding me, crying for me?

"Yes," She finally whispers and smiles, a smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes. In fact, it doesn't even reach the corners of her lips. "I'm Seoyoung." My mind does a double-take at the name. Seoyoung. It sounds familiar, yet distant, like an echo from a forgotten dream. I search her face in an attempt to remember, but all I see is a stranger, albeit a familiar one, standing before me with tears in her eyes and a heart full of memories I can't access.

"Seoyoung," I repeat the word as if testing it on my tongue. It feels weird, the way it sounds so familiar yet every letter is wrapped in disdain. If she's my best friend, why is my body is so keen on refusing to embrace her as such? Why does her name evoke a sense of unease, like a puzzle piece that doesn't quite fit into the picture of my life? "I'm sorry, I don't really remember. The doctors said I lost my memories but... they can come back, right?"

The way her body stiffens, the way her hands clench into fists at her sides, speaks volumes even before she responds. There's a fleeting moment of hesitation, a flicker of emotion that passes through her eyes before she forces a smile, though it appears more strained than genuine.

"They... they might," Seoyoung whispers. "But sometimes things are lost forever, don't you think-"

"Do you wish for them to be lost forever?" I interrupt, the question escaping my lips before I can fully process it. I can't explain why, but the thought of Seoyoung wanting my memories to remain lost fills me with a sense of dread.

"Of course, not, Y/N. I'm your best friend, I will help you remember everything," She responds quickly, reaching to hold my hand. "I want you to remember, to reclaim your memories, to know who you are." I hesitantly smile at her words and nod, looking back at my mother who's been watching us all along. "You don't have to worry about me, Mom, Seoyoung is here. We'll figure this out together."

My mother nods and smiles at us but before we know it, the door swings open, and Sunghoon steps inside. He's panting, breathing heavily, his eyes wide open as if he just ran a marathon. His gaze darts between Seoyoung and me, and for a moment, a shadow of pain, of shock, of everything that screams uncomfortable flickers across his face. He looks like he wants to say something, but the words seem to get stuck in his throat. "Are you okay?" My mother asks and he just sighs heavily, his gaze fixed on Seoyoung. 

Ah. I turn to her and she's staring back at him, the smile on her face telling me there's something going on between them. It's not surprising, though, the fact that they might have a history together considering how they're reacting to each other. She's my best friend and he's my roommate, maybe they've met through me, and maybe they like each other. I can't tell, but the way Seoyoung looks at him makes my heart ache with a strange sense of jealousy. Is it possible to feel jealous over someone else's emotions, especially when you can't remember your own?

"Sunghoon," Seoyoung says his name with a softness I can't quite place. It's almost as if there's a secret hidden behind those syllables, a secret I'm not privy to. "I'm glad you're here."

But Sunghoon just holds her hand and pulls her out of the room, ignoring her words. I watch them leave, a knot forming in my stomach. Maybe they're more than just friends. Maybe there's something between them that I'm not aware of, something that existed before my memory loss. The thought makes me feel oddly hollow, as if a piece of me has been ripped away without my knowledge.