Anterograde Tomorrow (sequel)

The 1st Puzzle Piece

He was a dancer. Kyungsoo knew that much about the man whose flowers Kyungsoo had finally taken away. The wilted frames didn't belong on the grave of a dancer. They didn't dance a beautiful ballet of colors when the wind blew through the open windows. The Tulip Foxtrot that had once dance its own foxtrot was now withered into a hollow death. A death that seemed too ironic to Kyungsoo now that he had lived with them for days. The hollow death of the illuminated dancer.

Kyungsoo had spent that morning staring at the flowers and reading the post it memories. Like every morning, he slipped into what ever clothing he could find and trudge down the hall to the elevator. The elevator had a permanent tobacco scent. Kyungsoo had made it part of a morning routine to bask in the scent. He didn't smoke. In fact, the thought of smoking made his stomach twist and his lungs burn. Never the less, the sweet tabacco scent was friendly. It swirled into shapes of daisies that wilted down to twirl around kyungsoo's head. he hoped no one would complain about the scent so that it would stay.

A tall, slender figure entered the elevator once it had reached ground level. The man was probably paler than snow white but his lips were not red and his hair was not a healthy black. Instead, his lips were a dusty pinky. Most likely from long nights and cold weather. His hair was more brown than red, with a little bit of his natural root showing. Based of his clothing, he must have been young and well off. based off his expression, he must have known Kyungsoo.

His boney fingers reached out and grabbed Kyungsoo, pulling him back into the elevator. The pull had forced a surprised gasp out of Kyungsoo.

"You were Jongin's guy right?" The man asked suddenly. Jongin? Kyungsoo was too shocked to give an answer. Instead he stared until the elevator had reached the 2nd level. The man shook his head as his face fell. "Never mind. I was thinking of someone else" he said. The elevator reached Kyungsoo's level and the man got off then. He bowed to Kyungsoo as the doors closed then turned in the direction of a newly vacant apartment on his floor.

Still, Kyungsoo remained silent.

It wasn't until he had reached the hospital that he spoke. That was only because he was forced to converse to the nurses and receptionists in order to find his way around the hospital. Each person he spoke to wore an expression of pity when he asked for directions. It was obvious they knew his situation but Kyungsoo didn't know how. He assumed that he had simply forgotten. That was something he had to assume far too often.

"You may come in now," a small woman said as she walked up to Kyungsoo. She was a receptionist or maybe a nurse. That didn't matter though. He simply followed her down the white hallways into a white office. There a man sat in doctor's attire. His hair was pushed back and his features were very feminine.

"Annyeonghaseyo Mr. Kyungsoo" the man stood up and shook Kyungsoo's hand, "do you remember who I am?"

"Doctor Kim?" He asked. He had read the name that morning but it was always difficult to know without a picture to match. "please, call me Dr. Jun instead" Dr. Jun scribbled something into a folder that sat neatly on his extensively organized desk. "i'd like to pick up were we left off if that is alright. Do you remember that?" Kyungsoo furrowed his brow and concentrated. No memory of a past appointment came to mind. no memory that he hadn't read from his post it notes. He shook his head and looked down at his lap.

"Well," Dr. Jun sighed. The scent of chemicals pushed through the stale hospital air anytime Dr. Jun made such a deep sigh. "I'm going to show you items and i want you to tell me the first thing that comes to mind."

The first item that was placed in front of Kyungsoo was one that he knew he could remember. His disease allowed him to remember that. "I was hit by a truck carrying apples. They were red," he paused before his voice grew low and broken, "my friend died in the accident."

The next item didn't bring up any memories, nor did any of the ones that followed. Then the last item appeared. Not intentionally. The item called from the background of the white walls and while doctor's coats. A book sat with every other book and document of the shelf behind Dr. Jun.

The headache hit. It split every fiber of his brain into strings and ripped the memories out of some hidden fault in Kyungsoo. This happened every time a memory was trying to be free. Kyungsoo had read it in the notes and Dr. Jun obviously knew this. His pen was readied on his paper.

Rough, warm hands roamed every inch of Kyungsoo's skin. The scent of sweet tobacco that filled the elevator now mixed with ocean wind. The warm hands were replaced with a cocky smile and a face that wasn't quite there. Kyungsoo could see the olive skin and the full lips before they pressed against his, easing the pain. He could feel soft, velvet hair tickling his neck.

Then, it was gone. The entire scene had disappeared from his reality and instead placed itself in a place in his brain were he could see it forever.

"What did you see?"

"I...I saw him."