reminisce | e'dawn. [🗸]

[chapter twelve]

Hyunggu;

I decided to tell Wooseok everything that happened those two days before the holiday. It was now New Year's Eve, and I didn't want to start the year with a burden over my head.

Earlier in the day, I went to my monthly appointment--I learned of nothing new. Now, none of the holiday festivities had begun, but I was at Wooseok's apartment, and we were going to walk to Shinwon's place for a party in a couple of hours. We had time to spare and were reflecting on our year; for me, that year was only a little over a month, though it felt like I'd gained a lifetime of knowledge and built more relationships than I could count.

"It feels like I've known you my whole life," I remarked silently, drumming my fingers on my stomach, as we were lying on our backs on the shag rug in his living room.

"It does," Wooseok chuckled, looking sideways at me. "That's not all that surprising, all things considered."

"True," I said. It seemed he and I were past the stage in which I couldn't talk about my accident, so we constantly referred to it like so. Then, my brows furrowed due to a sudden thought: "Speaking of which, I had a nightmare a few days ago."

He looked concerned now. "When?"

"Before Christmas."

"What happened in it?"

I drew in a breath. "You, me, and apparently some of our friends were at the top of this cliff," I summed up, "and it was my turn to jump, and I injured myself on the beach."

His breath hitched, and his eyes were wide. It was hard to tell since we were on the floor, but something I said had alarmed Wooseok as if it were his own nightmare and not mine. He spoke in a low, unsteady voice: "And then what?"

"I don't know who, but someone in the water yelled my name, and everyone at the top was yelling it too, and then I woke up and had a cramp in my arm." It almost hurt to think about.

"My God," Wooseok murmured. "I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"I'm okay now," I assured him, turning on my side and propping up on my elbow. "I wanted to tell you so that I could forget about it in the New Year, and it wouldn't be some dark secret I needed to get out."

"That makes sense," he commented. "Thanks for trusting me with that. It means a lot."

"Of course I trust you."

We sat up, hugged, and then snacked on the leftover kimchi from Wooseok's breakfast that morning. It wasn't time to go yet, so I suggested we watch some TV until then. He put an episode of Friends on just as Mr. Jung came back from his errands. He was carrying three grocery bags.

"Hi, Hyojong," he said to me, waving a finger as it was all he could lift. He cleared his throat, but it didn't help his gruff voice. I waved at him from my seat on the sofa. "I understand you're going to a New Year's party with Wooseok, right?"

"Yes, sir," I nodded. Wooseok turned the volume down on the TV.

"I know you've gotten more and more independent since leaving the hospital, but please take this advice," he started, and then Wooseok glanced up at his father, knowing he would be the one most responsible for me. "Only drink water when you're there. I trust Shinwon won't offer you anything else, but with the medicine you're on, you cannot consume any alcohol."

"Okay," I nodded. Dr. Kim told me that one time.

"Also, as you'll be staying awake past midnight, please consider spending tomorrow in bed," he added.

I nodded once more, and he walked off, and Wooseok whispered, "That one wasn't a professional suggestion. He said the same thing to me."

"All right, then," I laughed.