.  Well, I had been living my life quite cautiously, but I should be more careful as of now. Thinking that way, I applied the toothpaste to my brush. While I began to brush my teeth, standing still, my body felt gradually heavier from enduring the long day.

  In fact, going to the grocery store then stopping by a few different hospitals were no joke. Feeling dazed and confused, I had useless thoughts interrupting my mind.

  Right now, Ban Yeo Ryung might be sitting on my bed, thinking about some things with a straight face. Would I be able to tell that she was the same person I had known for years?

  An article that I saw before in a science magazine came to my mind. It was about a very sensitive and mean person who picked a fight with everyone turning into a gentle and charming character after having some pills.

  ‘Which is his real personality? One without pills or with pills?’ The question I had about Ban Yeo Ryung felt the same as this question.

  Then I opened my tightly closed eyes. Ever since Yeo Ryung lost her memories, there was this indescribable feeling that clung behind my back stealthily and stubbornly like an invisible shadow. I was now able to figure out what that feeling was.

  It was fear.

  Since Yeo Ryung lost her memories, our relationship had to start all over. However, there wasn’t anything that could be called ‘start’ between us. We had always been together from a time we couldn’t even remember.

  On top of it, I didn’t have even a trivial memory of the beginning of our relationship. That’s because I was switched with myself in this ‘universe’ when I was thirteen–Ban Yeo Ryung and I were already friends at that time.

  Then at the moment, the fear behind me became more obvious and began to suppress me. Suddenly, dense clouds seemed to cover the bathroom ceiling above my head.

  Holding the sink tightly for a second, I barely spat out the toothpaste foams in my mouth. Rinsing my mouth with the pouring water, I murmured, ‘To think of it, I can’t be surprised that Yeo Ryung is suffering memory loss.’


  After wiping out my wet face, I headed to my room. As I expected, Yeo Ryung was sitting on my bed, just staring blankly at the wall.

  I asked, “What are you doing?”


  “That clock……” she said, pointing at the clock on the wall. It was the one that Jooin gave me, which had a very classic and antique appearance. Unfortunately, it was also my personal indicator that showed the change between different worlds.

  “That clock…… I was thinking that it really doesn’t fit into this room.”


  “Oh……” I smiled awkwardly. How could she point out that thing first of all?

  Yeo Ryung tried to add a few more things, but she kept her mouth closed as she saw the look on my face.

  I spoke in bewilderment, “Uh, don’t mind. You can ask me anything.”


  “No, it’s fine. I’ll also go brush my teeth,” she replied. Yeo Ryung quickly left my room, holding the new towel I handed to her.

  Looking at the door that she just left, I rubbed my neck, thinking, ‘Would this really be okay?’ Staying together with Yeo Ryung could be no help, and instead, it could just take away her good feelings toward me.

  I decided to talk about some exciting things once she comes back, but soon after, I quickly felt dizzy and drowsy. I tried to close my eyes for a second, but with some weird feelings of something pulling me deep down into a swamp, I flaked out, eventually.

  * * *

  “Gosh!”


  As if I woke up from a nightmare, my room was all covered with light when I opened my eyes. Looking at Ban Yeo Ryung, who was deeply asleep beside me, I realized that last night wasn’t a dream.

  ‘I wished it was……’ murmuring that way feebly, I opened my phone and checked the time. It was seven in the morning, time to have breakfast. I tried to wake Yeo Ryung up but stepped back in hesitation.

  “Oh, yeah, she doesn’t go to school,” I said. Also realizing that I had slept before she returned to my room, I felt very sorry. What if she expected to have chitchat with me last night? I should take care of her once I get back home from school. Promising myself that way, I tried to leave my room, but something seemed to reach my ears.

  When I stepped into the kitchen, my mom said very naturally, “You woke up? Come have breakfast then.”


  “Okay,” I replied with a hoarse voice. As soon as I grabbed the spoon, my mom flung a question from behind me.

  “Where are you going?” Then she added, “Oh, Yeo Ryung, do you want some breakfast?”


  I replied, “School.” Before I got to tell Yeo Ryung that she didn’t have to go, a response returned out of the blue.

  “I want to go too,” said Yeo Ryung.

  I asked, “What?”


  When her parents spoke about her leave of absence last night, she stayed quiet, but why on earth did she change her mind right now?

  Flickering my eyes in bewilderment, I soon came to a conclusion.

  ‘Did she just change her mind because I said I was going to school?’ I wondered.

  Perhaps, it was right. She might have not known yesterday that we were going to the same school.

  Shortly after, Yeo Ryung’s mother came to our house at the speed of a bullet. Sticking out her head through the open front door, she requested earnestly, “Sorry, Donnie, let me ask for it.”


  “Yes, of course, no problem,” I replied, nodding my head enthusiastically.

  For some reason, I felt that today would be a long day just like yesterday.

  * * *

  Class 2-7, where the Four Heavenly Kings and Ban Yeo Ryung belonged, was having the busiest and noisiest moments ever since the opening ceremony. It was, of course, for one reason.

  “Ban Yeo Ryung sunbae has lost her memories. Is that correct?”


  “That’s why she looks more fragile and innocent today.”


  “True…… and her eyes…… they look sad somehow……”


  Listening to the conversations of the crowds of extras, I just sighed deeply with my chin on my palm.

  The hallway in front of Class 2-7 wasn’t big enough to accommodate all the crowds that even our classroom windows were blocked with a bunch of people trying to see Ban Yeo Ryung.

  Barely stepping into our classroom, Kim Hye Woo combed his disheveled hair with his fingers.

  “Wow, how can they behave like that when someone lost her memories? Why don’t they just leave her alone?” he grumbled. He also seemed to have seen the parade of love confessions that was ongoing since the morning.

  Behind him, Kim Hye Hill was also re-arranging her frizzy hair that looked like a bird’s nest.

  She replied, “They usually had no chance to win her love, so I get that they are taking this opportunity seriously, but what if her lost memories come back? It’s like a fake relationship you know.”


  Then she directed her eyes to none other than Hwang Siwoo. As if he had every nerve bristled up for the whole time, Hwang Siwoo kept his eye out to the Kim twins ever since they returned to the class.

  He shouted, “Why…… why are you guys looking at me?”


  However, he soon flinched when Kim Hye Hill narrowed her eyes and blurted out, “Did you just scream to me?”


  “Ah, no……”


  “You said you’ll try your best to make everyone in our class feel fair and close, but did you just scream to me just because I stared at you?”


  “Uh…… I…… um……”


  Throwing away the wild spirit he had at the beginning of the semester, Hwang Siwoo was sweating hard even at Kim Hye Hill’s quietly spoken words. The guy I knew back then was now hardly imaginable.

  ‘How can he suddenly behave like that? That’s why we should be nice to others.’


  While I rambled such thoughts in my mind, Kim Hye Hill’s voice reached my ears again.

  “I mean, Ban Yeo Ryung could be having a secret date or a crush on someone.”


  Speaking that way, Kim Hye Hill switched her gaze to me this time. I made a big X with my arms.

  “I said this a couple of times–I am not interested in soap operas,” I uttered. Then I added, ‘Would you please have in mind that I’m dating her brother?’


  Kim Hye Hill just shrugged with a mischievous look on her face.

  Perching on the desk beside me, Kim Hye Woo said, “Hey, there aren’t only boys crowding into her. Even the girls are trying hard to initiate a conversation with her to get close with Ban Yeo Ryung.”


  I replied nonchalantly, “Yeah, I know. I expected that.”


  That was because those who descended on Ban Yeo Ryung at the beginning of the new semester weren’t only boys.