|| Philophobia || Baek Kyung

Haru's back, but he seems different?

Days passed as things got more sudden, almost like the author realised something is wrong. Kids vanished without traces and new characters appeared.  So when Haru walked through the classroom door just like any other student, it felt like the whole world paused for a hot minute

Dan-oh's pen froze mid-air, Yeona blinked twice not quite comprehending the situation and Baek Kyung just stopped mid-sentence. Do-hwa froze and dropped his snack like his soul had escaped through his fingers

He was there. Same soft black hair, same crisp uniform, same quiet aura that used to make Dan-oh's heart sprint. But something was wrong, something different —something essential—was gone.

"Ha-ru?" Dan-oh's voice trembled, the name leaving her lips like a prayer she wasn't sure would be answered.

He turned at the sound, his gaze calm and detached. "Yes? Do I... know you?"

The silence that followed was deafening. Yeona's chest tightened. Do-hwa's grin faltered. Even Baek Kyung, who'd once hated Haru's existence with every atom, felt something heavy settle inside him.

Dan-oh laughed, a small broken sound. "Funny, Haru. You always joke like this when you come back." Even Do-Hwa muttered a quiet "Quit it dude" under his breath hoping Haru was just joking

He tilted his head, polite but puzzled. "I think you're mistaking me for someone else."

There it was—like a blade to the heart. She stuttered as she tried to make sense of the situation but couldn't do much as the teacher entered to teach the class. She sat down and glanced over to Haru, who looked ever at peace. Not once looking at her. 

Lunch break was a funeral of sorts. No one spoke much. The cafeteria buzzed around them, but their table felt isolated without Haru

"He really doesn't remember," Yeona muttered, poking at her rice. "His handwriting's different too. Look." She pointed to Haru's new neat notes across the room. "That's not our Haru's chicken scratch." Dan-oh was silent, her hands trembling around her chopsticks.

Baek Kyung glanced at her, guilt flickering across his eyes. "He's... still him, maybe. Just—reset."

Do-hwa slammed his tray down. "Reset? He's not a video game character, Kyung! He's our friend! He—he used to smile at her like she hung the stars!" His voice cracked, drawing attention from nearby tables.

"Do-hwa," Yeona said softly. "You're being loud."

"I don't care!" he snapped, rubbing his face. "He doesn't even look at her now. He looked right past her like she's invisible."

The table went back to being quiet again, no bickering, no laughing. Just painful silence engulfed them as they continued eating lunch quietly, sometimes glancing at Haru and looking away if he looked into their general direction

After lunch, Dan-oh found herself standing near the school's courtyard, watching Haru sit under the cherry blossom tree. The same one where he'd once promised to stay by her side. The breeze played with his hair, petals landing on his shoulders, and she almost smiled—almost—before he looked up and gave her a blank, polite nod.

"Can I sit here?" she asked quietly.

"It's a public place," he replied simply, not looking up from his sketchbook. His tone wasn't cold—it was just... monotonous. Just like it was when Dan-oh saw him for the first time

"You still draw." She whispered, tears filling up her eyes and her throat tightened

He hummed. "I like it. It feels familiar."

Her eyes softened. "You used to draw me once."

He froze, pencil hovering mid-air. "Did I?"

"Yeah," she whispered, forcing a smile. "You said my smile was your favorite thing to draw."

A pause. Then Haru frowned slightly. "I'm sorry. I don't remember that."

Dan-oh bit her lip so hard it hurt. "It's okay," she managed to say, voice trembling. "You don't have to, we'll make new memories. I'll help you recover what we lost" her voice got more determined "We will start over again, together"

But her hands were shaking when she walked away.

That night, Yeona sat in her room with her pets cuddled up beside her, phone buzzing endlessly. The group chat was chaos.

Do-hwa: HE'S NOT EVEN SITTING BESIDE ME IN HIS ORIGINAL SEAT😭
Baek Kyung: Stop texting in all caps.
Yeona: Guys, we have to help Dan-oh. She looked dead inside today.
Do-hwa: No kidding.
Baek Kyung: And what do you suggest? Memory therapy?
Yeona: Maybe... maybe reminders.

She stared at her screen, thinking. If Haru's memories are gone... maybe his heart still remembers.

The next day, they tried. Do-hwa dragged him to the music room.

"Remember this? You used to play the guitar here with me!" Do-hwa grinned, handing him the guitar Haru used to play but to his dismay Haru blinked and replied "I don't know how to play."

Baek Kyung tossed a basketball at him. "Catch." Haru caught it effortlessly as he always did, Baek Kyung smirked. "See? Muscle memory."

But when Haru tossed it back, his expression was flat. No spark. No teasing.

Yeona even brought Dan-oh's old notebook, filled with doodles and pressed flowers. "You kept this once," she said softly. Haru looked at it, confused. "It's pretty," he admitted, "but I've never seen it."

Each attempt ended in quiet disappointment. Dan-oh didn't cry in front of them, but that night she sat on her bed, staring at the stars outside her window. Her heart whispered, He'll remember. He has to. The next morning, Haru walked past her in the hallway again. And just as she turned away, defeated, he paused.

His fingers brushed the petals of a cherry blossom that had fallen into his hand. He frowned faintly, something flickering—like a shadow of a memory.

He turned around.

"Dan-oh?" he called softly.

Her breath hitched. "Yes?"

He hesitated. "I don't... remember you. But when you said my name earlier, it felt familiar"

Dan-oh's eyes filled instantly. "That's enough," she whispered, smiling through tears. "That's all I need for now."

Haru looked at her, something warm but fragile blooming in his chest, and for a fleeting moment—just one heartbeat—his lips curved into a familiar, small smile.

Yeona, watching from afar, exhaled.
"Welcome back, Haru," she murmured to herself.

Even if he didn't remember yet...
He was finding his way back.