After the auditions, I walked over to the closest coffee shop, and sat in one of the booths in the back of the shop. I didn't want to confront Yein yet, because I wasn't even sure what was going on. I sipped my caramel macchiato and lost myself into my train of thoughts.
"Halla?" I heard a voice awake me from my drift.
I looked up to see Jungkook, with a black designer mask as well as a red beanie on.
"Can I sit," he asked pointing to the seat in front of me. I nodded in response.
"Are you okay? You looked like you were troubled about something."
"No, just worried about the auditions." I lied a little but not completely. It was true I was worried about the auditions, but more about Yein.
He nodded in understanding and we both stayed silent for a while, looking down at our drinks. I wasn't too sure what to say since I wasn't exactly the most talkative person, but I could tell he came here for another reason too, because he also looked like he was deep in thought.
"It seems like I'm not the only one who is troubled about something." I said, voicing my thoughts.
He looked back up at me and chuckled softly.
"Seems so."
We sat quiet for another long while before he spoke again.
"Back in the screen room... you told Jimin hyung that playing the piano felt like you were remembering. What is that supposed to mean?"
Dang it. I didn't know how to respond since it was kind of a personal topic, and I had only met the guy yesterday.
I guess he sensed that, because he quickly added, "If you want to tell me that is."
Being me I was very relieved he said that, because I usually don't like telling other people about me or my problems, so it was great that he understood.
"Maybe some other time."
We sat in silence again, and I stirred my drink feeling uncomfortable with another presence there. Don't get me wrong, I do love quiet places, which is why I came to the coffee shop in the first place, but since someone I didn't know too well was sitting in front of me, it was awkward.
All of a sudden my phone vibrated indicating that I was getting a call. Once I saw Yein's name, I quickly flipped it over not wanting to communicate with her at this particular moment.
"Not going to respond?" Jungkook asked, finally looking up from his phone.
"Telemarketer probably. It was an unknown number."
I looked over to his keys that were sitting on the table, and saw some of his keychains. A lot of them looked like they were from countries he probably visited, and one that caught my eye was a silver ring. It looked a lot like a promise ring almost, but I couldn't see the details of it since it was on the opposite side of the table.
All of a sudden my head started to hurt as a flash of images ran through my head. I saw hands of another person open a black box that contained a silver ring inside. It was the exact same one. I tried looking up to see who's face it was, but as soon as I did everything disappeared. I pulled my hands that crawled its way up to the sides of my head as the hurting stopped down, but I was still breathing hardly.
I had no idea as to what that was, since I've only had this happen once before.
"Are you okay? What's wrong? Do you need to go to a doctor?" Jungkook asked me with concern in his eyes.
"No, it's okay...I'm fine." I said as I calmed myself and regained my composure.
I stared back at the ring that was on his keys.
Jungkook probably saw me staring at it, because he spoke again, "I've gotten one from every country we've performed at." He handed me his keys to take a closer look.
I made an o-shape with my mouth, but no sound came out.
"The ring too?"
After I asked, his whole composure changed. He went from smiling real wide to a smile that looks like it was faded, but still somewhat there.
"It was a gift from a very dear friend of mine. A long time ago." He continued to have that small somewhat smile on, and looked to be having a memory relapse as he focused his eyes on the ring that was currently in my hand.
"Well they must've been an unforgettable friend for you to have that look on." I smiled up at him and looked to see the engraving that was inside the ring.
I guess he knew what my next question was going to be, so he answered first, "MY was her initials. JK is obviously me, and the treble cleff... well it represented both our loves for music."
He stopped for a moment and played with his drink now in front of him before continuing.
"She played the piano just like you actually. It's weird though. Hearing you play felt like I was hearing her play again. Thanks."
"What happened to her?" I unconciously asked.
"Maybe some other time." he said with a slight chuckle almost mocking me from before.
"I thought you'd be out celebrating with your friend right now." Jungkook curiously questioned all of a sudden.
"I thought I would be too." I whispered under my breathe, but I guess he heard it, because he looked even more curious.
"It's complicated." I stated simply.
He nodded understandingly.
After another silence that wasn't as long as before, he spoke once more, "We're having our yearly company party in a couple of months. I'm sure Jimin has already told you about it."
I shook my head.
"Oh, well it's basically a party we have once a year and everyone at SH attends. We're also allowed to invite guests. There's performances from our trainees that are about to debut and also some from artists who have already debuted, but have a new song or album out. It's not like the American parties, but it's a nice breather from all the work that we're busy with. So what do you say. Want to come?"
Honestly, I wanted to say no automatically, because I wasn't really a party person. If you haven't figured out by now, I'm not exactly the most extroverted person out there. Plus, if I don't get the callbacks, then I might have to return back 'home' to the orphange in America. Not mentioning having to face everyone who had seen me fail the previous day if I went.
"I don't know.."
"It's fine. Just think about it okay? Here. give me your phone."
I handed it to him and unlocked it. He entered his number into my phone with the name 'Jungkookie'. I looked up at him trying to hold my laughter.
"What? It's what my friends call me. Since you're Jimin's friend, and we've met more than once now, we are technically friends too." He gave me a big grin and looked like a bunny while he was at it.
We talked a little bit more about random things for a couple more minutes before his manager called saying he had to go for another schedule.
As I watched him scurry out of the doorway of the coffee shop, I continued to sit there and replay what had happened a few minutes ago. I reached into my shoulder bag sitting next to me and pulled out my Vera Bradley zip ID case that Yein had given me as a present. It had all my inportant cards and souvenirs on it. I spread it on the table and strung out the familar burned string that was tied to the metal ring.
I didn't know much about it, but I know it's one of the most important things to me.
When I awoke from my coma, the only item the doctors had said belonged to me was a bracelet that I was wearing, and they had to cut it off during surgery. It also had gotten burned a little from the car crash I was in, so it was stained in some parts.
I was never able to regain my memory after all these years, my therapist had said, because I wasn't able to associate myself with familiar surroundings. There was no one who knew me before the accident, so I was told that I would just have to start a whole new life.
It wasn't until they gave me the bracelet back that I also had the same reaction as I did with Jungkook's ring. I never considered it a flashback, because I only had it once which was almost eight years ago.
But now that it has happened again, I can't help but want to know more about what happened to me. The curiosity in me sparked again, and I couldn't suppress it.