The Echoes Of Autumn | Minseok

Chapter Eight

24th January 2015 – The past

I squinted my eyes in the sunlight staring at Sumi's face that was only a short proximity away from mine.

She slowly moved away from me allowing me to get up and I groaned in pain at the headache I had been left with.

"You were unconscious for ages! I honestly thought you were dead!" She said with worry.

I stared up into her coffee coloured eyes that were lit with concern and saw that she was wearing the plaster I had given to her the last time we met. A felt a smile tug my lips and I sat up from the pile of leaves I was lying on.

"Sorry for making you worry.." I apologised sheepishly.

I had a buddle full of feelings swarming around inside of me because now that I knew Sumi did not know who I was everything had to start from scratch again.

"No worries... As long as you're okay that's all that matters!" She cheerfully said.

I was about to ask her what she was doing in the park when a man came rushing up to Sumi panting heavily.

"God Sumi at least wait for me before you go running off!" He was clearly concerned about her.

"Ah sorry... I saw the perfect spot under that autumn tree over there to sit and sketch.." She pointed to the tree as the boy tried to catch his breath.

I watched the encounter between the two of them with my eyes flicking back and forth as they spoke.

"Oh and this is..." Sumi gestured to me but stopped in the middle of her sentence.

"Minseok. Kim Minseok." I said finishing the sentence for her but couldn't help the disappointment I felt when she didn't know my name.

"I'm Oh Sumi and this is my friend Lee Woojin."

I slowly got up from the ground holding a hand out to shake Woojin's hand which he firmly gripped tightly before sending a rather odd smile my way. I rotated to Sumi and did the same with her but it just felt weird to shake her hand in such a friendly way when I knew we had all these precious memories together.

There was a moment of silence before Woojin and Sumi both spoke at the same time causing them to laugh.

I stood there awkwardly as they laughed and let out a small cough that seemed to grab their attention.

"I should get going. But before I do could you tell me the time?"

Sumi quickly whipped out her phone from her pocket fumbling around with it before stating the time:

"It's 3:00pm"

So whenever I leave the present day and travel back to the past I always come an hour behind the present day.

"Thanks... I'll see you around!" I turned around waving and froze on the spot when I heard Sumi shout:

"I'll see you at the coffee shop more often!"

I smiled at the thought and the memories that very specific held for both of us but unfortunately only I remembered them.

'I guess we will see each other often Oh Sumi..."

~

I walked back to apartment at a slow pace stuck with all these questions in my head about why I was being given the privilege to travel back in time and be able to see Sumi again.

There are many people who wish to turn back time. To have that one last moment with the person they loved. I have wished this to happen countless of times but now it has I can't help but question the reason why.