Broken String

Chapter 4

Byun Baekhyun:

            Time flew so fast that it already was our first month celebration. I couldn't believe that everything was going alright so far, even though she couldn't remember most things. I was happy that some memories from our past came back to her. But we started over, and now was more important than the past. Now, a month had passed since the day we got back together. To celebrate the first month of our relationship, I decided to bring her to one of her favorite places, the SM Music studio. Minyeong loved music, and music loved her back. She was a great singer, and she could play the guitar. Although I would be happier if she played the piano, too, since that was what I liked to play the most. But playing piano while she played the guitar as we sang together wasn't a bad idea. We often went to the studio and fiddled with our own instruments in the past. We would go to an empty room, she'd bring her own guitar as I place myself in front of the piano at the studio. Then we'd play a simple piece as we sing together.

            I walked to her house, and my skin met the scorching afternoon sun, but I didn't bother. It was worth it to see Minyeong's elated face as she stepped out of her house, her guitar slung on her back. We arrived at the place, and familiarity gushed behind her glimmering eyes as she looked up the building. We entered a soundproof room of light blue walls and tan vinyl floor. The room was almost empty without the small desk, a piano, two huge stereos, and stand microphones. I stood in the middle of the room and opened my arms.

"Here it is. One of your favorite places. Do you remember it?"

"It looks familiar to me." She walked in and slipped the guitar off of her shoulders.

"Have you tried playing your guitar?" She shook her head no. "Here, try looking at this." I took a sheet of paper out of my pocket and handed it to her. It was a guitar chords sheet that she used to play, and I thought it might help her remember playing the guitar. With eyebrows furrowed, she looked at the sheet questioningly before looking up to me.

"Baekhyun, I don't remember how to do this."

"Just try and strum your guitar. Eventually you'll remember it."

She sat on the stool and started fumbling with the strings. She made a few hits out of tune while striking the guitar in no rhythmic pattern. But slowly she positioned her fingers to beat a perfect chord, and finally she hit a faultless note. "That's it. You're getting it." I leaned on the desk and watched her as she positioned her fingers a little differently, forming another major chord, and strummed the guitar carefully into a simple beat. Eventually, the familiar melody came to her. Her blood running through her veins flowed music notes and sent electricity down her fingers, making her feel the harmony of music that was once a part of her. And it was slowly coming back. Soon enough, she was fiddling with the strings with no difficulty. She smiled at me, telling me that she finally remembered it. Pure acoustic music boomed in the lifeless music room as she played with each thread. Even the tiniest squeaks of strings in each pluck she made echoed in the once empty but now harmonious room. The few minutes she was tweaking those strings felt as if it was eternal until the music flicked as the string snapped out.

"B-Baekhyun." She looked at the strings astounded, and I chuckled. "The string snapped out."

"I can see that. Man, your fingers are too strong." I said, receiving a threat to get hit by a guitar.

"It's just that this guitar is too old." Her lips pointed down the guitar as she played with the broken string.

"Let me see, maybe I can fix it."

I was busy studying the guitar strings until the door hinges shrieked. I looked at where the noise came from, and I saw the door opened as it revealed a small figure of a woman. Noona? She smiled at me before tiny fingers waved at me.

"Hey Baekhyun."

"Taeyeon noona, you're here." I couldn't resist to curl up my lips as she walked closer to give me a hug. "Since when did you come back?"

"Just last week."

"I see. Oh, noona, meet my girlfriend, Minyeong. Minyeo—" I turned around to introduce her, but even before I could finish my words, she already dashed out of the room, and I was certain I saw tears running down her cheeks.

"Baekhyun, what's wrong?"

"I don't know either, noona. But I have to follow her."

            I ran out of the building, thinking about what went wrong while looking for Minyeong. She just suddenly ran off when Taeyeon noona arrived. Wait. . . That's it. . . She saw noona again. It was a misunderstanding. I looked at the streets with cars roaring. I couldn't find her anywhere. I swore I would blame and curse myself if she had another accident. I wouldn't let that happen again. I wouldn't let that part of our history to repeat itself. I walked nearby the building and searched for her between the crowds of the busy streets of Seoul. For a whole hour, I squeezed in through the mob while trying to find her. I walked down the streets and entered places where she could possibly be. I walked in to cafés, boutiques, the nearby park, party stores, and everywhere else I could manage to walk to. But I didn't find her and ended up going home by myself in worry and regret.

Kim Minyeong:

I admired his fingers as he examined the guitar. I gazed at his calm features, and I was smiling as I stared at him when the door cracked open. A petite stunning lady entered the room. I looked at her closely as I sensed familiarity. I saw Baekhyun smiling as they embraced, and then I felt my chest burn in agony and displeasure. The outside of me stood frozen, but behind my eyes flashed the quick arrogant scenes of a black-and-white movie. The lady, that same lady, was the unfamiliar being he was embracing in the park. She was the reason I broke off the string. She was the reason I ran away from him. He turned around and faced me to talk, but before he could finish his words, beads of agony flowed out my eyes, so I hastened out of the building.

I rubbed the back of my hands against my eyes as I hopped in the full-loaded bus. I walked all the way to the back and dealt with the strange looks the passengers were shooting me. I buried my face on my palms as the rivers flowed continuously. My chest slowly tightened as I resisted sobbing. The sight of my sobbing image was already enough for them to look at me in curiosity; they didn't need to hear more of it. I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I peeked between my fingers to see an old lady carrying a bag of groceries.

"Miss, are you alright?"

"I'm okay."

"What's wrong, young lady?"

"J-just a broken string."

She looked at me questioningly before taking a seat next to me. I wiped my tears and gave her a painful smile before looking out the window. I repeatedly blinked my bulging eyes as I saw a familiar figure on the streets. The messy bundle of ebony black hair stood out in the middle of the crowd. He was roaming around the streets as if he was lost. His russet gems were highlighted in his blank expression, and it beamed nothing but concern. I'm sorry, Baekhyun. And again, I felt something warm stream down my cheeks.

                I arrived home and walked past Junmyeon oppa, who was asking me how everything went. I ignored his question and brushed his hand off of my shoulders before locking myself in my room. I threw myself on the bed, wet face buried on my pillows as the painful memories pierced my chest. I snubbed a knock on the door that enclosed my muffled sobs. I locked myself under the moonlight that hid between the heavy clouds in the sky. I remained pouring out streams of agony, and the stars failed to shine as a clump of dark, cottony mantle concealed the atmosphere.