Unforgettable You {Extraordinary You Sequel!}

Episode 10: Familiar Darkness

She's still sitting on the ground when their eyes meet. Haru. Haru? Even in the darkness, she can make out every feature of his face: the smooth, sturdy bridge of his nose, the puckered softness of his lips, the single soulful gaze of his irises. Surprise enter his eyes now. And then, alarm.

He starts running towards her.

She stares at him, her eyes growing larger and larger. She tries to haul herself to her feet, but she feels weak. She just barely succeeds, nearly tipping off balance again. She turns sharply away from him. Away from this that she doesn't understand.

No... she doesn't know what's going on.

She needs to stop feeling like this. Haru is supposed to be with Saemi.

"Dano-ah!"

He calls her. He calls her name. That stops her momentarily in her tracks, arousing feelings stronger and denser than before. Him, saying her name, like that.

"Dano-ah!" He calls her again. "Dan..."

He grabs her arm, and turns her around. But it's not rough. He's staring at her, eyes blazen with adrenaline and an unfathomable strength.

Haru-ah. It's on the tip of her tongue. She almost says it, but, for whatever reason, she stops herself.

She won't meet his gaze. She tugs her arm from his grip. Wiping her face, she looks away and wraps her sweatered arms around her torso.

"What?" she asks. "What is it? What do you want?"

Why does it hurt?

Why does it hurt so much?

"I..." he starts.

"Haru!" Saemi calls. A moment later she appears at his side, staring at Dano, confused again. "Oh, Eun Dano. Hi. You, uh.." she gasps an awkward laugh, tucking her hair behind her ear. "You didn't see that, did you?"

Dano ignores her question.

"Hi..." Dano drawls. She looks at Saemi, and then away. She can feel Haru's eyes boring into her, willing her to look at him. "No, I was... just catching some air, you know?" she throws in a forced laugh. "Yeah! I was just out here taking a night walk, a night stroll. I didn't see anything. I'm done now, done breathing, so I better head back."

"Wait, Dano, are you okay?" Saemi asks, looking concerned. "You look... like you've been crying."

"Dano."

"Oh—I'm okay, I'm okay!" Dano shoves on a grin. It's strained and only makes her want to cry more. She bites her lip. "I... I, um... onions, you know? I'll go back and wash my face, and rest—and eat something, and then I'll be fine." She waves at them, "See you guys!"

"Wait, Dano—"

"Wow, Dano," Saemi exclaims as Dano walks away from them. She's not even quiet. "Who knew she could talk without that awful stutter of hers?"

•••

Dano starts running when she reaches the dorm building. Her brain feels scattered. Stars. Haru. She knows his face like the back of her hand. When she looks into his eyes she wants to—to....

"Eun Dano!" Haru calls her again. He's followed her.

"No, stop it. Stop it, Haru," she finally says his name. She refuses to face him, sparing only a gesture with her arm. "Go away."

"Why?" he demands. "Why do you want me to go away?"

"Because something is happening to me and I don't know what!" she whirls around to face him. She hadn't realise how close he had trailed her. They are toe-to-toe. Caught off-guard, Dano gasps and stumbles backwards. Her weight falls heavily on her ankle and she cries out, falling backward—

A hand grabs her wrist and yanks her to safety, steadying her. Haru's pulls her towards him, staring at her with wide doe eyes. She gazes back, stunned.

"Eun Dano?"

Dano whirls around at the sound of her name. Baek Gyeong stands there in a maroon-coloured hoodie. His eyes prick with surprise and, Dano is sure, hurt. But it's immediately replaced with a guarded coolness that looks almost angry.

"G-Gyeong!" She exclaims. She looks up at Haru, and then back at Gyeong. She tears herself from Haru's grip. But she doesn't get very far, because when she puts weight on her left ankle and a piercing pain enflames there, causing her to cry out.

"Are you okay?" Haru asks. His throat bobs. "Does it... hurt a lot?"

"Did you sprain your ankle?" Gyeong demands, eyes wide. He starts towards her. "Dano, what did you do?"

"And who are you?"

This comes from Haru.

For the first time, Dano realises that Haru stands between her and Gyeong. Her breath catches in her throat. Tonight—in the cold of a midnight autumn, on the ground level of the dorm building—the three of them are the only ones in sight.

Gyeong turns to Haru. His expression transforms into something Dano has never ever seen on him before—malice. But it somehow feels familiar on him.

"Haru..." Dano whispers.

"I'm the one who should be asking that," Gyeong states, his manner cold and brazen. He stares at Haru with these eyes that look like they want to laugh mockingly. "Who are you?"

"Haru."

"Baek Gyeong," Gyeong replies coolly. "Dano and I are in the same Psych course. We're friends; we eat lunch together. How do you know Dano?"

There's a stretch of silence. Dano attempts to see Haru's expression from where she is securely tucked behind him, but all she can make out is the stony sureness ingrained into the regal plains of his face. His eyes that usually shimmer are sullen with steeliness.

"Don't you have something to say, pretty boy?" Gyeong prods on, taking a step closer. There's something about the look on his face that frightens Dano. She doesn't know why, but this feels familiar.

Everything here feels familiar.

This stance, these feelings that hang in the tension-thick air... even their positioning. Gyeong and Haru staring down, Dano tucked into an invisible corner. It feels familiar.

Why?

Gyeong's dark energy stirs like he's losing his patience, "You better say something before I wipe that stupid look off your face with my fist."

"Gyeong!" Dano exclaims, shocked.

And then a memory hits her—

Gyeong grabs Haru by the front of his uniform in two fists.

—and another one—

Haru jerks Gyeong around and socks him in the face, twisting him off-balance. Gyeong falls to the ground. The rain pitter-patters across Haru's dark hair and the ashen plains of his face.

Dano staggers slightly. She is shaking again.

What was that.

"You're so confident in yourself?" Haru utters in steely coolness, his eyes fully fixated on Gyeong. "Don't you know it's weak to make empty threats?"

"Empty?" Gyeong scoffs a laugh, "Try me."

The air is so tense, it's as if at any moment everything will come crashing down, and all hell will break loose.

Haru starts, "I—"