Stray Kids Imagines

Way back home - Jeongin

"What... is this?"

Jeongin stared down heavily at the photobook and journal left in his hands. He had discovered them when cleaning out his closet for the first time in— well, he did not know. That was what bothered him most — he never knew. When returning from the hospital a year back, his memory felt so fuzzy, as if everything was beginning to deteriorate.

He remembered coming back home to a house that lacked a lot of things. The living room was silent, quiet, and dead. There were empty spots all around that seemed like there used to be something there before. Unoccupied hangers, a toothbrush that did not belong to him, two pillows side by side when he thought he only used one every night. It was as if he was not alone—not before he came back.

Now, everything felt misplaced. But what? Who? He could not recall. His head hurt each time he tried. Returning from the hospital made him feel like he had forgotten something despite knowing that this was how he remembered living in the past. What had happened? Or was he just hallucinating this whole time?

Jeongin ruffled his hair in frustration. Why wasn't his brain working properly??

Whatever— it didn't matter, because maybe he was finally going to get some answers from reading what was left behind.

Sitting on his bed, he opened the photobook first and couldn't believe what he saw.

Pictures of him were displayed on each page, laughing in every captured moment. Places like outdoor parks, gaming arcades, hiking trails, beaches—it looked amazing. He looked like he was having fun. But not alone.

There was a girl.

She was with him in the majority of the photos. All these wonderful moments, all this happiness he had experienced, it was with her. His fingers traced the outline of her beautiful smile, yearning for more knowledge of who she was. He needed to know. He swore he did not recognize her face, but that ache in his chest said otherwise. There was more to her.

After analyzing her image and appearance, he moved on to the journal, dust covering the front in a thin layer of fluff. He wiped it clean then proceeded to read the contents within.

Y/n. That was her name. That was who this book belonged to, and who was in the pictures. Dates were written down on the pages, and the words described similar events to the photos of them. Until, he stopped at one of the most recent entries:

November 3, 2020

No no no no no... Why can't he remember? Why did he look so confused when he saw? Why did it have to happen the way it did? He forgot... He actually forgot... He forget me... He forgot everything. The first time we met, the places he took me to, the life we had together... It's all gone. Disappeared. Forgotten.

He flipped the paper, yet to his dismay, it was blank. Curses flew from his mouth. Now what was he going to do?

Suddenly, a sharp pain seized his head and his hand reached up to hold on it. It was aching, pulsing—unraveling.

Memories started appearing out of nowhere. The girl's face flashed across his vision in all sorts of forms. Joy, embaressment, sympathy, annoyance, exhaustion, rage, and the one that hit him the hardest, pain.

He had seen that expression before. Back in the hospital, the first time he woke up, she was the first person he saw. Her glassy eyes that were filled with tears had sparkled the second he gained consciousness. And then she hugged him, rambling about how she was glad nothing severe had struck him.

But when he asked in confusion,

"Do—Do I know you?"

that had ended it all for her.