Retrograde | Jicheol

XLVII

7:34 am

Minghao calling...

Call Connected

"Hyung..."

"Oh?"

"Ako pinatawag nila sa'yo kasi sa'kin ka lang daw mabait."

"Ikaw lang naman kasi 'yung normal sa grupo maliban sa'kin."

"Haha!"

"Napatawag ka pala?"

"Tungkol kay-"

"He who must not be named. I've heard all of it, Hao. Please 'wag ka nang dumagdag."

"Ah, hindi hyung. Naiintindihan naman kita eh."

". . ."

"Sa'kin lang, dapat hindi ka agad-agad naga-assume."

"Diba sabi ko aya-"

"I'm not forcing you to do this, hyung. Just a brotherly advice. If he means this much to you, bakit hindi mo subukang tawagan siya at alamin kung ano talagang nangyari?"

"He's nothing to me, Minghao. A mere acquaintance maybe. O isang kutong nanggugulo sa ulo ko. That's all."

"Pero kung makapag-react ka-"

"Tss. Ibababa ko na 'to."

"Hyung, wait. Hindi ko dapat sabihin 'to pero..."

"Ano 'yun?"

"Alam mo namang may short term memory loss si Seungcheol hyung diba?"

"Oh?"

"Tita-His mother has decided to deal with his mental illness at last. Gagaling na siya, hyung."

"A-ano?"

"Kaya siya nawala nitong nakaraang linggo dahil sumailalim na siya sa operasyon niya."

"M-mabuti naman. I mean, haha. Shit."

"Hyung..."

"Bakit hindi niyo agad sinabi sa'kin? Tangna. Nagsayang pa ako ng laway kakabulyaw sa iba. Haha. Makakaalala na rin siya sa wakas."

". . ."

"Mukhang hindi ko na siya matatawag na Dory, ano? Haha."

". . ."

"No more longass introduction about myself."

". . ."

"Maaalala na niya ako."

"Hyung m-may isa ka pang dapat malaman."

"Ano 'yun?"

"Hyung...his medication required removing his old memories..."

". . ."

"...and replacing it with new ones."

". . ."

"After the operation, he won't remember a thing about us... About you."

". . ."

"I'm sorry, hyung."

". . ."

". . ."

"A-ah. Ha...ha... Oo nga naman."

"Hyung..."

"A-ano ha ha, o-okay lang! At least makakaalala na siya d-diba? Ayos na 'yun!"

"Hyung..."

"Hindi ko na nga siya matatawag na Dory, m-magiging Nemo naman siya. Mawawala bigla-bigla. Ha ha."

"Hyung naman..."

"It's fine, Minghao."

Call Ended

Yes, it's fucking fine. Except for the fact that he won't remember shit about a certain guy named Lee Jihoon who put up with this bullcraps when he couldn't even remember himself. He won't remember shit about talking to a certain guy he once called Jippoon all night long until they fall asleep with their phones still clutched tightly in their hands. He won't remember shit about this unfamiliar feeling of recognition every time he hears Jihoon's voice on the other end of the line or about how much this voice meant to him. He won't remember shit and Jihoon knows, from the awful pain in his chest and the stupid water swelling up in his eyes that it's not fucking fine.