MICHAENG : THE STORY UNFOLDS WITH YOU

CHAPTER 40 - FLOOD OF MEMORIES

He swallows hard and turns his body toward her, his voice trembling as he says, "M-mina?" His hand moves uncontrollably, slowly tucking Mina's hair behind her ears. As Mina's face is revealed again, he feels his heart clenching over something he can't comprehend.

Mina's eyes meet Chaeyoung's, and both stand frozen like statues. Her heart skips a beat at Chaeyoung's touch and stare. She can feel his breathing heavily and sees his eyes glistening with clinging tears. "Chaeng, are you okay?" Her soft voice utters, tinged with nervousness and worry.

Chaeyoung suddenly taken aback, unsure about his emotions now. "Uhhh?? Umm yes... I..I'm fine," he stutters, forcing a small smile. "I just got a flash... or maybe it's just my imagination... don't mind it... I'm totally fine," he stammers awkwardly before picking up his pace, not waiting for Mina's response, leaving her dumbfounded behind. The need to avoid her escalates as he debates with himself whether the young woman in his dream is really Mina or if the current situation is prompting him to assume things about her, leaving him completely in the dark.

"Flash?" Mina stutters in bewilderment, picking up Chaeyoung's pace. "Chaeng, wait, what flash are you...?" She holds Chaeyoung's wrist, but suddenly winces in pain. "Ouch... what's that?" She brushes her fingers, feeling like something on Chaeyoung's wrist pricked her.

"Yaa, are you hurt?" Chaeyoung hastily pulls Mina's hand to inspect her finger. "Oh god... you got a scratch here. I'm sorry, Mina-yaa. Maybe it's because of my bracelet," he says while blowing on the scratch on her finger.

Mina's heart flutters at his gesture, and Chaeyoung's breath sends a chill down her spine. But as she comes back to her senses, a tinge of wonder hits her. "What bracelet?" Mina asks, looking at Chaeyoung as he caresses her finger.

Chaeyoung then let go of her hand, pulling up his sleeve a little. "This one... it has a key here. Maybe the tip of the key is a bit sharp, causing the scratch," he explains, showing his wrist to Mina.

Mina's eyes suddenly widen in alarm, her breath quickening. "Where did you get this?" Her voice is a bit stuck as she notices one of the pair of their couple bracelets that Chaeyoung is wearing. Her eyes blink in disbelief as she holds Chaeyoung's wrist, attentively examining the bracelet.

"Uh... Sana gave it to me after I regained consciousness from the coma," he explains without hesitation, noticing the change in Mina's demeanor. "She said this is the bracelet that I wore during the accident five years ago. I've kept it because it's the only piece of memory I have from my past. Why do you ask, though? Do you know about this?" He observes Mina's reaction carefully.

Mina tries hard to suppress her poker face, though her heart is already screaming in silent. "No, just asking," she says, composing herself to speak properly and not reveal her turmoil.

Chaeyoung pouts and nods. "Argh... I thought you knew. Sana also said she also didn't know anything about this bracelet. I'm freaking curious about it, though, and hoping someone knows something." He heaves a sigh. "Or maybe... it actually holds nothing special to me back then. Should I just throw it into the river since it's nothing but causing a scratch on your finger?" Chaeyoung suggests, taking it off.

"No!!!" Mina unintentionally raises her voice in surprise at Chaeyoung's remarks. She knows her reaction now looks more suspicious to Chaeyoung, so she has to come up with a reason. "Don't throw it away. It suits you well, and like you said, it's from your past, so you should just keep it. Even if you don't want to wear it anymore, just keep it with you. Who knows, one day it might help you regain your memories? Plus, aren't you curious because it has a key shape? Isn't a key something to open something else? Maybe it has another pair to something to be opened by this one??" She presses a thin smile, trying to convince him while pretending clueless.